Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and French President Emmanuel Macron have overseen a major expansion of defence cooperation, with Stockholm signing a €4.3 billion agreement to acquire four air defence frigates from France.
The deal, signed during Macron’s visit to Stockholm on Monday (31 Aug) 2026, includes a procurement contract between Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration and French defence company Naval Group, alongside a wider framework agreement on strategic defence cooperation.
Key developments:
- The four Luleå-class frigates will be based on France’s Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention (FDI) design and are expected to strengthen Sweden’s naval and air defence capabilities.
- Defence Minister Pål Jonson and French Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Catherine Vautrin signed a framework agreement covering security cooperation, defence equipment and industrial development.
- The first frigate is scheduled for delivery in 2030, with the remaining vessels to follow.
- The agreement forms part of Sweden’s wider military modernisation following its 2024 NATO accession.
The frigates are expected to enhance Sweden’s ability to contribute to NATO operations, protect maritime routes and strengthen security cooperation with European allies.
ℹ️ Government of Sweden, FRANCE24
Follow on social media TikTok@tut0ughInstagram@tut0ugh Threads@tut0ugh X@tut0ugh YouTube@tut0ugh
