Overview
- Sweden’s government, in a Tuesday announcement in Stockholm, named Naval Group’s FDI as the pick for four Luleå-class frigates after a contest with Babcock–Saab and Navantia.
- Officials said speed and design maturity drove the decision, with construction already underway in France and deliveries planned to start in 2030 at roughly one ship per year.
- The ships will field MBDA’s Aster 30 for long-range area defense and CAMM-ER for medium range, restoring a naval air-defense punch Sweden has lacked since the early 1980s.
- Sweden plans to integrate national systems including Saab’s RBS15 anti-ship missile, Torpedo 47, the Giraffe 1X radar, Trackfire weapon stations, and Bofors 57 mm and 40 mm guns.
- Negotiations now begin on price, outfitting, and workshare, with officials citing a total near 40 billion kronor, a setback for the Babcock–Saab bid and a shift toward NATO-focused Baltic security.