Sweden Considers French Defense Frigates to Strengthen Naval Power in Baltic Sea.

[Micael]

Well now, looking like it may not be a Babcock design after all but rather a French one. An interesting development for us. Regardless we need new warships in service as quickly as possible so I hope this peocurement picks up pace.

Sweden Considers French Defense Frigates to Strengthen Naval Power in Baltic Sea.

20 Jun, 2025 - 16:41
Naval News Navy 2025
The intensification of strategic ties between France and Sweden recently materialized in a new step forward in their bilateral military cooperation. During the Paris Air Show, French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu and his Swedish counterpart Pål Jonson signed a roadmap outlining future collaborative efforts in several key areas. This builds on the renewed strategic partnership agreed upon in January 2024.

The roadmap aims to strengthen Franco-Swedish industrial and capability cooperation in areas such as ground-based air defense, aerial surveillance, and precision weaponry. According to the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, this cooperation framework reflects a shared ambition to support the development of a credible European defense structure. It highlights several existing joint projects, including shared use of military equipment such as the NH90 helicopter, the BONUS artillery shell, the AT4F2 anti-tank rocket, and the BvS10 high-mobility vehicle. The partnership has now expanded with the signing of a contract for the procurement of Akeron MP missiles from MBDA by Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), alongside a letter of intent for acquiring Saab’s GlobalEye airborne surveillance system.


In this context, France’s procurement agency DGA is set to enter contractual negotiations to purchase at least two GlobalEye systems to replace the E-3F SDCA (AWACS) aircraft of the French Air and Space Force by 2035. Additionally, discussions between Paris and Stockholm include potential cooperation in medium-range air defense based on the Aster missile, despite Sweden's current reliance on American Patriot systems. However, the most notable development in this framework relates to naval capabilities, with France officially offering its Defense and Intervention Frigate (FDI), known as the Ronarc’h class, for Sweden’s next-generation surface combatant program.

This proposal may alter the course of Sweden’s previously launched program to replace the Visby-class corvettes. In January 2021, FMV awarded Saab Kockums a contract to study the design of five new corvettes, designated the Luleå class. By 2023, however, the program’s requirements were revised: the future ships would need extended endurance at sea, increased size (120 meters versus 72 meters for the Visby), and enhanced multi-domain capabilities, including anti-drone operations. These changes led to a reduction in the planned fleet from five to four vessels. The product definition phase was scheduled to conclude by mid-2025, with deliveries of the first units expected from 2030. A strategic partnership was established in May 2024 with British firm Babcock to support the program, but the collaboration has reportedly yielded limited results, opening the door for alternative solutions.


In this context, Stockholm’s interest in the Ronarc’h-class frigate appears consistent with its updated operational needs. The French frigate aligns closely with FMV’s technical specifications and benefits from an advanced production timeline, as it is already entering service with the French Navy. Sweden has previously accepted foreign construction of hulls, such as for the intelligence ship HSwMS Artemis, provided that the weapons integration is carried out domestically in Karlskrona. This condition could be met by Naval Group, which has the industrial capacity to produce two FDI frigates per year at its Lorient shipyard, potentially meeting the Swedish Navy’s timeline.

Designed as a first-rank warship, the Ronarc’h-class frigate has a displacement of approximately 4,500 tons and a length of 122 meters. It is equipped with a KingKlip Mk2 hull-mounted sonar and a CAPTAS-4 towed sonar, the SENTINEL electronic warfare suite, and the Aquilon integrated naval communication system. Its open digital architecture allows continuous system upgrades in line with technological and operational developments. The ship features 16 Sylver A50 vertical launch cells capable of deploying Aster 15 and Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles, a 76 mm main gun, two remotely operated 20 mm guns, MU90 lightweight torpedoes, and Exocet anti-ship missiles. It can also accommodate a combat helicopter and several unmanned aerial vehicles, providing multi-domain operational capacity in projection, strike, and surveillance roles.


France’s proposal to supply Sweden with FDI frigates represents a concrete development in their strategic defense relationship. As the war in Ukraine continues to reshape European security priorities, this Franco-Swedish partnership, rooted in capability-based cooperation, reflects a broader effort to structure a cohesive European defense pillar where industrial compatibility and operational interoperability converge.

[Nightwatch2]

Excellent!

Good stuff across the board. I’m particularly intrigued by the AEW stuff (imagine that…)

The frigate (at 4k tons!) is especially interesting. A good, modern warship with capabilities matched to the current threat, most importantly the ability to counter drones.

That looks like a great model for the US Navy to emulate. We could get very badly needed hulls in the water fast with modern capabilities. We’d just have to revise a few requirements like labeling everything in English (and Spanish…).

We might get a few ships in a couple of years with say, 90% commonality and only 10% USN specific at a substantial cost savings.

Oh, wait…….

We already screwed that up

[Micael]

Excellent!

Good stuff across the board. I’m particularly intrigued by the AEW stuff (imagine that…)

The frigate (at 4k tons!) is especially interesting. A good, modern warship with capabilities matched to the current threat, most importantly the ability to counter drones.

That looks like a great model for the US Navy to emulate. We could get very badly needed hulls in the water fast with modern capabilities. We’d just have to revise a few requirements like labeling everything in English (and Spanish…).

We might get a few ships in a couple of years with say, 90% commonality and only 10% USN specific at a substantial cost savings.

Oh, wait…….

We already screwed that up

Yep, I’ll note also that the ships have room for 32 VLS cells for Aster-15/30, Greece have ordered theirs like that.

Here’s a good, detailed tour of the Admiral Ronarc’h courtesy of Naval News. It’s 35 minutes long but gives a good idea of the ship if one is interested. The ”assymetrical warfare bridge” with large video screens showing a 360 degree camera feed from around the ship with automated tracking of visual targets is an interesting aspect.
https://youtu.be/YMt2pzURRlI

[Straker]

Interesting development. I can see the attraction of a smaller hull for more confined waters along with better air defence capability. The main criticism of the "Type 31" design I have is that in the UK specified version it is very under armed and not particularly great in terms of sensors either definitely built to a price but that was the whole point of the programme.

I do wonder how much a theoretical Swedish version of the Type 31 would end up looking like the Polish version in development now, the list of requirements does look much closer than the RN spec version. The problem from a procurement perspective is that the Polish version is even further from service than the RN ones, the first hull only started construction a couple of months ago.

I would be interested to see any open source data on how much extra weight margin for future developments exists in the FDI compared to something like the Type 31. Being based off the Iver Huitfeldt does give Type 31 a lot of room to grow apparently.

[Zen9]

Danes be looking at new build replacement of Ivar Huifeld class. Apparently the CMS handling air warfare has issues and fixing it is prohibitively expensive for the remaining lifespan of the ships.
So Type 31 evolved is quite plausible for new AAW ships.

But UK maybe winning over Norway with additional Type 26 could strain production capacity.

While the RN itself is heading towards FADS and whatever Type 86 is to be.

Sweden may calculate that France can deliver earlier than the Brits, Poles or Danes.

Germany.....well they have had issues and for the Swedes a recent history that doesn't encourage them.
Spain is.....
Italy is doing well, but capacity might be a problem.

[Micael]

I think there is an impression that the French have managed to get a good production rate of the FDI going, several hulls are in the water now for both the French and Greek navies and more or less according to the planned schedule. That bodes reasonably well for a potential order from Sweden also roughly keeping to schedule, which is a very big plus.

In addition to that I think some design aspects of the FDI are also seen as particularly positive to Sweden. It’s supposed to have included some lessons learned from FREMM such as having improved sea keeping (the reason for the bow design.) Improved resilience/damage control aspects with all critical systems duplicated between two main zones of the ship, propulsion, generators, fire pumps, data centers etc. Improved radar coverage with no blind spots. The novel take on assymetrical warfare management with the 360 degree cameras etc.

I would say that if you take the Greek variant, with its 32 VLS cells and Sea Ram, replace the bow gun with a 57 mm Bofors, the torpedos with the Torped 47, the AShMs with RBS-15, and you’ll have something very close to what a desireable clean sheet design for Sweden might have looked like. There’s always going to have to be some compromises but…

[Dagooz]

Danes be looking at new build replacement of Ivar Huifeld class. Apparently the CMS handling air warfare has issues and fixing it is prohibitively expensive for the remaining lifespan of the ships.
So Type 31 evolved is quite plausible for new AAW ships.

But UK maybe winning over Norway with additional Type 26 could strain production capacity.

While the RN itself is heading towards FADS and whatever Type 86 is to be.

Sweden may calculate that France can deliver earlier than the Brits, Poles or Danes.

Germany.....well they have had issues and for the Swedes a recent history that doesn't encourage them.
Spain is.....
Italy is doing well, but capacity might be a problem.

There is being put a lot of effort into establishing a new shipbuilding center in Denmark (the existing ones have all been closed due to financial issues, outsourcing etc.).
Considering the Type31 is based on the Iver Huitfeldt class, and that class was assembled in Denmark from hull sections made in the baltics, there is no reason as such that it should not be possible to do the same again. Given a dock large enough.
But with regards to the Iver Huitfeldt class… I Think the problems might have been blown a bit out of proportion. But the problems combined with the ships depending on American weapons, not being BMD capable (but upgradeable) and around 12 years old… it’s not unthinkable to replace ahead of time.

[Straker]

With the lead time for construction of ships being so long now*, starting towards the customisation of a Type 31 variant ordering and introduction to service would probably put the oldest Iver Huitfeldt over 20 years old by the time it left service anyway.

* For the RN, RCN and RAN at least the Marine Nationale seems to be doing better with the FDI at least. Potentially it might be because of how complicated Type 26 is though, its a light cruiser size and weight hull pretending to be a frigate.