Sweden signs $4.9bn deal for four French frigates

Sweden signed a 4.3-billion-euro ($4.9 billion) contract on Aug. 31 to buy four French defence and intervention frigates, as Stockholm and Paris moved to deepen defence cooperation.

President Emmanuel Macron and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson oversaw the signing aboard the French frigate Amiral Ronarc'h in Stockholm.

Sweden announced the planned purchase from French shipbuilder Naval Group in May. The first vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2030.

Macron said the agreement sealed “a major strategic partnership” between France and Sweden. He said the frigates would be equipped with Aster 30 air-defence interceptor missiles and could also carry naval cruise missiles for long-range strikes.

Kristersson said Europe needed to take greater responsibility for its security and that the European pillar of NATO was strengthening.

Macron said Sweden would help support a Paris-led nuclear deterrence scheme to bolster security in Europe. France and Sweden held their first meeting on nuclear cooperation in Paris in April, and the Elysee said work was continuing and intensifying without giving further details.

French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin and Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson also signed a framework agreement aimed at strengthening defence cooperation.

The French presidency said there were several possible areas for further cooperation, including joint fighter aircraft programmes after the collapse of the Franco-German Future Combat Air System project. France bought two GlobalEye airborne early warning and control aircraft from Swedish defence company Saab in December for more than 1 billion euros.