Sweden signs its largest defense agreement in decades

Sweden has signed its largest defense agreement in decades, purchasing four frigates in a deal intended to triple the country’s air-defense capacity.

The agreement was signed aboard the French frigate Amiral Ronarch during a ceremony attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. The ships, known in Sweden as the Luleå class, are designed to help keep Baltic Sea routes open during wartime for both civilian and military transport.

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We are very pleased with France’s openness on this issue.

Kristersson called the purchase a major investment that would strengthen Swedish air defense and contribute to NATO’s deterrence. The frigates will carry France’s Astor 30 system, which is designed to protect against ballistic-missile attacks and is presented as an entirely European alternative to the U.S. Patriot system.

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I am determined to continue developing this relationship of trust and this cooperation, particularly in defense.

The agreement represents Sweden’s biggest defense investment since the Gripen contracts of the 1980s. Sweden’s corvettes are also being equipped with similar air-defense systems. The number of missiles included in the frigate purchase has not been disclosed by Mikael Granholm, director general of Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration and one of the signatories.

The deal comes as Swedish critics warn that expensive warships could become vulnerable targets for drone attacks, a concern shaped by the war in Ukraine. The government and the Defence Materiel Administration say the frigates will have drone defenses and will operate with protection from other vessels. Granholm acknowledged that military technology is continually changing as new measures meet countermeasures.

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It is a major investment that substantially strengthens Swedish air-defense capabilities and contributes to NATO’s deterrence.

Sweden and France also signed a broad framework agreement covering deeper cooperation across defense areas. The two countries are openly discussing how Sweden’s conventional forces and France’s nuclear arsenal could reinforce one another and contribute to deterrence.

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There is a constant development in which one move is met by a counter-move. We never stand still.