French President Emmanuel Macron is set to sign a multi-billion euro deal for four French frigates with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Stockholm on Monday, according to reports from Euronews and RFI. The 3 billion agreement covers the acquisition of four Defence and Intervention Frigates (FDI) manufactured by the French industrial Naval Group, with the first vessel scheduled for delivery in 2030.
Sweden announced the purchase of the frigates in May, as part of a broader rearmament effort prompted by the war in Ukraine and its accession to NATO in 2024. Prime Minister Kristersson described the deal as "one of the most significant Swedish defence investments since the introduction of the Gripen fighter jet in the 1980s."
The visit provides an opportunity to discuss European security and NATO cooperation, according to RFI reports. France's Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin and her Swedish counterpart Pål Jonson will also sign a framework agreement to enhance defence cooperation in "operational, capability and industrial areas," as reported by Euronews.
The Élysée Palace stated that the meeting marks a new phase in the two countries' deepening strategic partnership, with security and defence cooperation aimed at strengthening both European defence and the Atlantic Alliance. The French presidency added that the visit "will mark a new step in deepening the strategic partnership between France and Sweden and the security and defence cooperation between our two countries, which will contribute to strengthening both European defence and the Atlantic Alliance," according to RFI.
For Naval Group, the contract represents a success following several setbacks, as reported by RFI. In recent years, Norway opted for British frigates, Canada declined the group's offer for 12 submarines, and Poland chose Sweden's Saab for its new submarines. New frigates would increase Sweden's ability to protect the Baltic Sea region, according to RFI.
According to Naval Group's website, the frigates are designed to "detect and neutralise all types of threats," whether "surface, airborne, underwater, asymmetric or cyber," as reported by Euronews.
The two countries have developed closer defence industry ties in recent years. In December, Paris placed an order for two GlobalEye surveillance aircraft produced by Saab, worth more than €1 billion, as reported by both Euronews and RFI.
During NATO's summit held in Ankara in July, France pledged to contribute troops to a Swedish-led NATO mission in Finland. In a joint statement, the three countries stated that "France will contribute with ground forces deployments to rotations of Forward Land Forces Finland, including a battle unit," according to Euronews.
Macron's schedule includes a reception by King Carl XVI Gustaf and Crown Princess Victoria at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, as reported by RFI. His last official visit to Sweden was in January 2024, and in March 2024, Sweden took part in major NATO drills alongside France and 11 other nations, according to RFI.
Sweden has also expressed interest in Macron's "advanced deterrence" concept involving eight European countries, and on 23 April, the two countries convened their first nuclear steering group in Paris, co-chaired by the Élysée and the Swedish prime minister's office, as reported by RFI.