STOCKHOLM — Sweden expects to make a final decision on a partner to design and build four new Luleå-class frigates by early 2026, Defence Minister Pål Jonson said today.
Furthermore, Jonson, appearing with his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin at a joint press conference in Stockholm today, made clear that France is throwing its hat into the ring as a contender.
The planned new Swedish surface combatants — significantly larger at around 394 feet, compared with the current Visby-class’s 236 feet — will complement the five Visby corvettes that are under mid-life upgrade and incorporate advanced air-defence systems, unmanned platforms, and NATO-compatible technology.
“The ambition is to have two frigates ideally by 2030, another two by 2035,” Jonson said, noting a market survey was done by procurement agency FMV. He called the timeline “ambitious,” prioritizing interoperability. (The program has already suffered delays that pushed those delivery times to their current targets.)
“The air defense component is going to be important,” Jonson added. “It’s a step for us to integrate into NATO’s common … integrated missile air defense system as well.”
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France’s Naval Group is offering its 4,500-ton, 400 foot FDI (Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention) multi-mission frigates. The lead ship, the Amiral Ronarc’h, was delivered to the French Navy in October 2025 after successful sea trials validated its digital architecture and combat systems. In baseline French service, the class carries 16 Sylver A50 vertical-launch system (VLS) cells for Aster 15/30 missiles; the French Navy has now decided to double this to 32 cells, aligning its ships with the enhanced export versions already in production, French Naval News reported.
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“Tactical operating system” for warfighters has evolved to provide more situational awareness of the battlefield.
Vautrin stressed readiness if Sweden buys French: “We offered a fully equipped frigate for 2030 delivery last October, plus partnerships with Saab.” She added that the Amiral Ronarc’h will visit Sweden early next year for demos.
Other bidders are expected to include Swedish Saab, the United Kingdom’s Babcock and Spain’s Navantia. Costs are undisclosed. FMV and the military will advise the government on a final decission.
Saab Aircraft For France
Beyond the frigate talks, the ministers also put Saab’s GlobalEye AEW&C aircraft firmly on the bilateral agenda. Jonson confirmed that active discussions are underway, describing the plane as “a good capability for France” in surveillance and sensor terms, confirming that active discussions are underway.
France’s intention to buy Saabs GlobalEye was formally announced in June this year, with a contract set to be finalized in a matter of months.
During today’s presser, Vautrin echoed strong French interest, noting that France needs to replace its aging airborne early-warning fleet and sees GlobalEye as more than a simple purchase: “We are not just clients … we are first and foremost partners.” she said.
While no contract yet has been signed and the two programs — GlobalEye and Luleå frigates — are not formally linked as a package deal, both sides repeatedly stressed reciprocal industrial cooperation.
That may mean that Swedish selection of a French frigate design would be viewed favorably in Paris alongside potential French orders for GlobalEye, strengthening the broader Franco-Swedish defense-industrial partnership.