Sweden picks French design for new Luleå-class frigates

The Swedish government has completed a down-select process, choosing France’s Naval Group as the preferred supplier for Sweden’s next-generation frigates under the Luleå-class program.

The decision was formally announced during a press conference held aboard a Visby-class corvette at Skeppsbron in Stockholm, with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Defense Minister Pål Jonson, and Supreme Commander Michael Claesson in attendance.

Naval Group will build four new frigates for Sweden under the program, representing a major defense investment valued at approximately 40 billion Swedish kronor (around $4.25 billion).

According to Defence Minister Pål Jonson, the selection was driven by several key factors, including the maturity of the French design, the prospect of faster delivery timelines, and opportunities for cost-sharing arrangements involving France and Greece. He also highlighted that the proposed solution already integrates a well-developed air defense capability.

The planned ships will be based on Naval Group’s FDI design, with the Swedish Navy set to acquire four frigates. Each vessel is expected to displace around 4,000 tonnes and will be configured for both air defence and anti-submarine warfare roles.

Jonson further noted that Sweden intends to integrate a range of domestically produced systems into the ships. These include Saab’s RBS15 anti-ship missile, the Torpedo 47 system, the G1X radar, and Trackfire remote weapon stations.

The French proposal reportedly includes a delivery schedule in which the first fully fitted ship could be handed over as early as 2030.

To remind, the FDI frigates are already in service with the French Navy and have also been ordered by the Hellenic Navy.

They are designed as a first-rank frigate with capabilities across multiple warfare domains, including air defense, anti-submarine, anti-surface, and asymmetric operations.

The platforms are intended to operate either independently or as part of a naval task group, addressing both current and emerging threats, including advanced submarines, supersonic missiles, and cyber threats. They can incorporate digital systems and data-processing technologies to support operations across a range of mission environments.

Recently, France ordered its fifth FDI frigate from Naval Group.