Sweden has signed a contract with France’s Naval Group for four FDI-based air defence frigates, completing a competition that also included British-Swedish and Spanish proposals, the UK Defence Journal understands.
The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration signed the procurement contract on 31 August during a visit to Stockholm by French President Emmanuel Macron, with the ships to enter Swedish service as the Luleå class.
The first frigate is planned for delivery in 2030, with the remaining three following successively. Sweden had selected Naval Group’s Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention design in May and subsequently entered negotiations with France over the purchase.
The Swedish Government said construction of the vessels and training of Swedish Armed Forces personnel can now begin following signature of the agreement.
Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson said: “This is a strategically important investment that strengthens Sweden’s defence capability and security in light of a deteriorated international situation. The four frigates will triple Sweden’s current air defence capability. This is essential to Sweden’s security and NATO’s capability.”
The Luleå-class vessels will be based on Naval Group’s FDI design but configured for Swedish requirements. The Swedish Government has previously confirmed that the ships will incorporate a number of domestically produced systems.
These are expected to include Saab’s RBS 15 anti-ship missile, lightweight torpedo, Giraffe 1X radar and Trackfire remote weapon station, together with 57mm and 40mm naval guns from BAE Systems Bofors.
The ships will also be equipped for area air defence. The Swedish Government said in May that advanced air defence was a central requirement for the programme and that the new frigates would contribute to NATO’s integrated air and missile defence capability.
Naval Group Chairman and Chief Executive Pierre Éric Pommellet said when the design was selected in May: “We are extremely honoured to have been selected by the Swedish Ministry of Defence. We are now eager to engage with the Swedish authorities and partners in the execution of this strategic project.”
He added: “The FDI will provide the Royal Swedish Navy with a latest-generation frigate and extended capabilities in all warfare domains with rapid delivery timeline, to meet the operational needs expressed by the Ministry of Defence.”
Naval Group faced two other proposals during the Swedish evaluation. Babcock, working with Swedish defence company Saab, offered the Arrowhead 120, a smaller derivative of the Arrowhead family that also includes the 140-metre design forming the basis of the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigates.
The Arrowhead 120 proposed for Sweden is approximately 124 metres long and displaces around 4,650 tonnes. Babcock’s proposed configuration included the Saab 9LV combat management system, Sea Giraffe 4A fixed-face radar, Sea Giraffe 1X, RBS 15 anti-ship missiles, Saab lightweight torpedoes and Bofors guns.
Babcock and Saab had already been working on the Luleå programme before Sweden moved towards purchasing an existing foreign design. Saab had been contracted by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration to undertake basic design work, with Babcock providing engineering support including structural design and auxiliary systems.
The third contender was Navantia’s ALFA 4000. The Spanish shipbuilder offered a 120-metre, approximately 4,300-tonne frigate and had proposed delivering the first two vessels in 2030 and the remaining pair in 2031.
Navantia’s proposed Swedish configuration also incorporated Swedish equipment, including the RBS 15, Bofors 57mm and 40mm guns and Saab Trackfire weapon stations. The company proposed air-defence, anti-submarine and surface-warfare capabilities alongside a hangar and flight deck suitable for helicopters.
Swedish officials said during the competition that the three proposals were assessed against time, capability and price. The government had also stipulated that the programme should concentrate on a mature vessel already in production in order to reduce delivery times.
The FDI is already in production for France and Greece. Naval Group pointed to the maturity of the production line and existing deliveries when making its Swedish proposal. The Swedish Government initially authorised negotiations with France in May for four ships expected to be delivered between 2030 and 2034. At the time, it said the procurement was the first stage of the process and that an order could be placed once negotiations were complete.
That process concluded with the contract signed on 31 August between the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration and Naval Group. Sweden and France also signed a separate framework agreement covering defence cooperation during Macron’s visit, including operational matters, defence equipment and industrial development.
Aster30+CAMM-ER
Fair choice by Sweden, but Norway made the right decision with T26 and it looks like Denmark have chosen a Babcock T31 based architecture. Up tp the Kiwis of course but I’d also say that T31 is a better choice for NZ requirements – large EEZ – they could afford 3 for the price of 2 Mogamis.
Let’s hope France can be there for Sweden if it kicks off with Russia. The UK needs to learn to be more mercurial in its defence relationships just like France and the USA. I can’t think of any major system Sweden buys off us yet it looks to the UK as lead security provider in the region via JEF.