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Sweden signs €4.3 billion deal to buy four French FDI frigates
🇬🇷 Greece /Conflict & Security

Sweden signs €4.3 billion deal to buy four French FDI frigates

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • Sweden signed a €4.3 billion contract to buy four French Defense and Intervention frigates from Naval Group.
  • The deal follows Sweden’s rearmament drive after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and its NATO accession in 2024.
  • The first frigate, which will be among the largest ships in Sweden’s navy, is expected to arrive in 2030.

Sweden has signed a €4.3 billion contract for four French FDI frigates, in one of the biggest purchases yet in its military rearmament drive. The signing took place in Stockholm in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

Naval Group chief executive Pierre-Éric Pommellet and Mikael Granholm, director of Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration, signed the contract. The French and Swedish defense ministers, Catherine Vautrin and Pål Jonson, also endorsed the agreement.

France and Sweden, members of the European Union and NATO, are showing that European sovereignty is built together, and the success of this partnership gives us hope that other allies will join us.

— Emmanuel MacronMacron described the frigate deal as a model for European defense cooperation.

Sweden announced in May that it planned to order the frigates, saying the vessels would triple its air-defense capabilities. The purchase responds to security threats in the Baltic Sea, as Stockholm strengthens its armed forces after the war in Ukraine began in 2022 and Sweden joined NATO in 2024.

We are sealing an important, mutual and ambitious strategic partnership.

— Emmanuel MacronMacron spoke aboard the French frigate Amiral Ronarc’h during the signing ceremony.

The first frigate is expected to be delivered in 2030. The ships will be among the largest vessels in the Swedish navy and will provide long-range air defense from the sea, as well as protection against ballistic missiles.

Macron presented the deal as evidence of closer European defense cooperation. “France and Sweden, members of the European Union and NATO, are showing that European sovereignty is built together, and the success of this partnership gives us hope that other allies will join us,” he said at a joint news conference with Kristersson. Speaking aboard the French frigate Amiral Ronarc’h, docked in Stockholm for the ceremony, Macron added: “We are sealing an important, mutual and ambitious strategic partnership.”

The frigates become mobile platforms that give Sweden the ability to conduct long-range air defense from the sea and protection against ballistic missiles.

— Ulf KristerssonThe Swedish prime minister highlighted the military capabilities provided by the ships.

Kristersson pointed to Ukraine’s experience of Russian strikes as an example of the challenges the new ships are intended to address. “The frigates become mobile platforms that give Sweden the ability to conduct long-range air defense from the sea and protection against ballistic missiles,” he said. “Everyone now knows that in Europe we must take greater responsibility for our security. European NATO is becoming increasingly stronger.”

Everyone now knows that in Europe we must take greater responsibility for our security. European NATO is becoming increasingly stronger.

— Ulf KristerssonKristersson linked the purchase to Europe’s growing responsibility for its security.
About this summary

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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