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.

[Micael]

Starting to near selection time, said to be happen in early 2026. My take right now on the four candidates:
Saab (with Babcock? Unclear at this point): Probably uncertainty over whether they can deliver within the timeframe, may count against them.
Babcock: Reports of issues in the Saab/Babcock collaboration may count against a solo bid as well. But Swedish navy officers are training on RN warships in the air warfare role right now so probably a plus.
Navantia: Probably the least likely winner, they’re trying to sweeten their bid with promises of loading up the ships with various Swedish hardware. But after the KNM Helge Ingstad accident their design quality/capability is probably seen as dubious at best.
Naval Group: A design that just exited trials and entered operational service and seems to actually work without much issue, and they’re keeping their delivery timelines so far which boosts confidence that they’ll be able to deliver ships to Sweden on time. Probably the strongest candidate right now, but the professionals may well weigh strenghts/weaknesses entirely differently than I would so it’s going to be exciting to see which is actually selected.

Sweden to select builder of four new Luleå-class frigates in early 2026
Egypt Defence Expo
25 Nov, 2025 - 9:28
Naval News Navy 2025
Sweden plans to select the supplier for its new Luleå-class frigates in early 2026, with Saab, Naval Group, Babcock, and Navantia competing for the program.

As reported by Reuters on November 24, 2025, Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson announced during a press conference held with French counterpart Catherine Vautrin that the country will select the supplier for its new Luleå-class frigates in early 2026. Saab, Naval Group, Babcock, and Navantia are competing for the program, which is based on existing European designs adapted for Swedish requirements. The four-ship effort represents Sweden’s largest surface fleet expansion since the early 1980s and aims to field two ships by 2030 and two more by 2035. Senior Swedish officials describe the schedule as ambitious yet necessary, given the rapid expansion of defense requirements after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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The new Luleå-class frigates are expected to surpass 120 meters in length and displace between 3,000 and 4,500 tonnes, placing them well above the Göteborg- and Visby-classes corvettes that currently form the backbone of the Swedish surface fleet. (Picture source: Saab)
The new Luleå-class frigates are expected to surpass 120 meters in length and displace between 3,000 and 4,500 tonnes, placing them well above the Göteborg- and Visby-classes corvettes that currently form the backbone of the Swedish surface fleet. (Picture source: Saab)

Ezoic
The ships, based on existing designs with Swedish systems integration and industrial participation, are expected to enter service beginning in 2030, with the first two targeted for that date and the remaining two by 2035, and will become the largest surface combatants Sweden has operated since its last Östergötland- and Halland-class destroyers left service in the early 1980s. Their introduction reflects an effort to move beyond the traditional focus on smaller Visby-class corvettes toward larger multi-role warships able to support national missions and NATO operations. This shift follows an intense expansion of Swedish defense policy after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which pushed Stockholm to accelerate programs previously planned on longer timelines.

The new Luleå-class frigates are expected to surpass 120 meters in length and displace between 3,000 and 4,500 tonnes, depending on the final configuration, placing them well above the Göteborg- and Visby-classes corvettes that currently form the backbone of the Swedish surface fleet. Such sizing would increase the total surface tonnage of the Swedish Navy by more than a factor of ten, illustrating the magnitude of the transition from a coastal defense focus toward broader blue-water capability. 100-meter hulls are relatively uncommon among recent Western surface combatants, yet several non-Western designs occupy that range; for instance, the Japanese Mogami-class offers similar dimensions to those anticipated for the Luleå-class. For Sweden, such growth in ship size also introduces substantial challenges, particularly in crew generation and sustainment, as larger hulls require more personnel and more complex support structures, further influencing internal debates as Swedish planners continue to refine the program.

Ezoic
Saab Kockums had initially been contracted in 2021 to work on a new Visby Gen 2 corvette, but evolving strategic needs led to the cancellation of that effort in favor of the new Luleå-class frigate program. The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration then launched a market survey to identify mature designs that could be adapted to Swedish needs to mitigate schedule risks. The aim is to avoid delays similar to those experienced in earlier naval programs, which had pushed delivery timelines further into the future. Previously, an initial work was undertaken by Saab and Babcock based on the British Type 31 design, yet that collaboration has so far produced limited visible progress. Other foreign shipbuilders have therefore gained prominence, and Sweden may opt to build hulls abroad and complete outfitting domestically, a model previously used for the intelligence ship Artemis, whose hull was constructed in Poland before final integration in Karlskrona. This approach is presented in Sweden as a pragmatic option combining schedule assurance with domestic industrial involvement.

France has been particularly active in promoting Naval Group’s FDI frigate as a candidate for the program, with multiple statements from French officials outlining their readiness to deliver one fully equipped ship by 2030. French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin emphasized that France already operates the offered model and is prepared to establish a partnership that includes Swedish industry, especially Saab. The lead French ship, Amiral Ronarc’h, completed sea trials and entered service in October 2025, demonstrating a digital architecture and combat system already validated at sea. In baseline French configuration, the FDI carries 16 Sylver A50 vertical launch cells for Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles, with export versions for Greece featuring 32 cells. The Thales Sea Fire radar is highlighted as the ship’s primary air defense sensor, providing coverage at significant ranges. France has announced that the Admiral Ronarc’h will visit Sweden early next year for demonstrations, reflecting the intensity of the campaign to secure Stockholm’s interest and expand bilateral defense ties.

Additional bidders include the Swedish Saab, the British Babcock, and the Spanish Navantia, which offers ship designs ranging from roughly 2,200 tonnes to more than 6,000 tonnes, including the Bonifaz-class with its integrated mast and substantial anti-submarine warfare capabilities. These options illustrate the range of possible solutions under evaluation, from designs closely aligned with Swedish systems architecture to larger foreign platforms adapted for national requirements. Official statements emphasize that costs remain undisclosed and that the Defence Materiel Administration and the military will advise the government before a final selection. This will also be Sweden’s first opportunity in decades to introduce large surface combatants, as the Swedish Navy has not operated ships of similar size since the Östergötland-class destroyers, retired in 1982.

France’s ongoing interest in the Swedish frigate program follows its own interest in acquiring Saab’s GlobalEye airborne early warning and control aircraft. France’s intention to purchase GlobalEye was announced earlier in the year, with a contract expected in the near future, and French officials reiterated during their Stockholm visit that the GlobalEye is viewed as a priority. Statements stress reciprocal industrial cooperation and suggest that although the frigate and GlobalEye programs are not formally linked, both sides acknowledge that decisions in one domain are likely to influence the other. Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson highlighted that the air defense component of the future frigates will be essential for supporting both national and allied missions, and that the ambition remains to have two frigates in service by 2030 and another two by 2035. This timeline is described as ambitious but necessary to strengthen Sweden’s emerging role as a NATO member capable of contributing to integrated air and missile defense in Northern Europe.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

[Zen9]

Smells of strategic partnership and actual arguments for and against systems be more the window dressing than the substance.

France can offer assistance with nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
Swedens uranium supply and potential restart of nuclear weapons program is the obvious big issue no one wants to talk outloud about.

The Swedish personnel training up on aerial warfare on RN ships is obviously PAAMS and FLAADS (Aster and Ceptor a.k.a CAMM). So that's more just Visby upgrade with Ceptor on the one hand and naval PAAMS assessment for the future.

RN has more PAAMS ships than the MN if memory serves. So it's just what's accessible.

Paris sees the opportunity to lock the Brits and Americans out here and Globaleye offers them further independence from the US.

[Micael]

Smells of strategic partnership and actual arguments for and against systems be more the window dressing than the substance.

France can offer assistance with nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
Swedens uranium supply and potential restart of nuclear weapons program is the obvious big issue no one wants to talk outloud about.

The Swedish personnel training up on aerial warfare on RN ships is obviously PAAMS and FLAADS (Aster and Ceptor a.k.a CAMM). So that's more just Visby upgrade with Ceptor on the one hand and naval PAAMS assessment for the future.

RN has more PAAMS ships than the MN if memory serves. So it's just what's accessible.

Paris sees the opportunity to lock the Brits and Americans out here and Globaleye offers them further independence from the US.

There’s that aspect of course, and France has been very interested in deepening cooperation with Sweden. But first and foremost we have an operational requirement of getting larger, suitable, surface combatants in service on a pretty tight timetable. It’s likely the primary criteria being considered when the offers are evaluated.

[Micael]

A bit of new from Naval Group dropped, which some French observers seems to think is related to their attempt to secure the Swedish contract.

Naval Group is developing their own cold launch VLS system for CAMM-ER missiles, bypassing the Lockheed Martin VLS system that has up until now been what has been on the market. The FDI frigates have had space towards the bow for a VLS setup that can hold 32 Aster-30 missiles but now a customer can opt for 16 Aster-30 missiles and 48 CAMM-ER missiles instead. This might be a more alluring mix to some customers, and the French observers seems to think that Sweden would be among them.

If we factor in the modular MPLS CIWS system (a bit RAM-esque) that was unveiled in 2024:
” Each MPLS is outfitted with four launch modules, enabling a versatile mix of weapons and decoys tailored to specific threats and missions. Each module can house various munitions based on size, including:

Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW): AKERON MP ATGMs (2 per module), 70mm or 68mm unguided or laser-guided rockets (at least 10 per module), LMM, loitering munition
Anti-Air Warfare (AAW): MISTRAL 3 SAMs (4 per module), LMM, 70mm rockets
Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW): Anti-submarine rockets (2–4 per module), depth charges
Decoys for protection: CANTO anti-torpedo decoys (2 per pod), SEACLAD decoys, and others”

Then the FDI is looking like it can be configured to have a pretty solid air defense capability.