Sweden signs 4.3 billion euro deal for four French frigates

Sweden signed a contract on Monday, August 31, 2026, to purchase four French-built frigates in a deal valued at approximately 4.3 billion euros, or $4.9 billion. The agreement, signed in Stockholm, was overseen by French President Emmanuel Macron and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, marking a significant step in deepening bilateral defense cooperation amid heightened security concerns in Europe.

The contract was signed by Mikael Granholm, Director-General of the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, and Pierre Éric Pommellet, Chairman and CEO of Naval Group, the French shipbuilder. The signing ceremony took place aboard the French frigate Amiral Ronarch, which was moored in Stockholm. The deal follows Sweden's announcement in May that it would select the French-designed FDI class, with the first of the four frigates scheduled for delivery in 2030.

The frigates are designed to operate in demanding maritime environments, including the Baltic Sea, the High North, and the North Atlantic. They will be equipped with the ASTER missile system for air defense, capable of countering threats from drones to ballistic missiles. According to Naval Group, the ships will support...