French defense company Naval Group has cut the steel on the Royal Swedish Navy’s first Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention (FDI) warship, beginning construction of the platform at its Lorient facility.
The milestone comes just one month after Stockholm signed a 47-billion-kronor ($4.6 billion) contract for four multirole vessels to bolster maritime and aerial support capabilities in the Baltic Sea.
Delivery of the lead frigate in the series, to be named HMS Luleå, is scheduled for 2030.
The remaining platforms Norrköping, Trelleborg, and Halmstad are expected between 2032 and 2034.
Growing Allied Fleet
Sweden is the third NATO member to procure Paris’ indigenous FDI design, following France and Greece.
Its order expands the FDI production program to 13 surface combatants, with Naval Group maintaining an active assembly line capable of delivering two frigates per year.
Following the Nordic fleet’s admission into service, the French company plans to establish a long-term industrial partnership with local Swedish suppliers to support the vessels throughout their operational lifespan.
“It is a great honour to put our expertise at the service of Sweden’s sovereignty and naval superiority,” said Vincent Martinot-Lagarde, executive vice president for surface ships at Naval Group.
“All Naval Group sites and teams are fully involved in the success of the programme, in close cooperation with the FMV both in France and in Sweden.”
Naval Group’s FDI Frigate
The FDI frigate is engineered for air defense, anti-submarine, and anti-surface warfare. It features Naval Group’s proprietary inverted bow design and Setis battle management system.
The Swedish variant will integrate domestic systems, including Saab lightweight torpedoes, RBS15 anti-ship missiles, and BAE Systems Bofors naval guns, alongside Aster 30 and CAMM-ER air defense missiles.
Its hull will measure 122 meters (400 feet), incorporate a beam of 18 meters (59 feet), and carry a crew of more than 125 sailors.
The ship will also carry a helicopter similar to the NH90, as well as an unmanned aerial system for autonomous flights.
It will sail with twin MTU 16V 8000 M91L engines with a combined output of 43,000 horsepower, enabling a top speed of 26 knots (48 kilometers/30 miles per hour), an operational coverage of 5,000 nautical miles (9,260 kilometers/5,754 miles), and a 45-day endurance.
