Sweden Considers French Defense Frigates to Strengthen Naval Power in Baltic Sea.

[Nilgiri]

Sweden Considers French Defense Frigates to Strengthen Naval Power in Baltic Sea

Sweden Considers French Defense Frigates to Strengthen Naval Power in Baltic Sea

armyrecognition.com

The intensification of strategic ties between France and Sweden recently materialized in a new step forward in their bilateral military cooperation. During the Paris Air Show, French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu and his Swedish counterpart Pål Jonson signed a roadmap outlining future collaborative efforts in several key areas. This builds on the renewed strategic partnership agreed upon in January 2024.

The roadmap aims to strengthen Franco-Swedish industrial and capability cooperation in areas such as ground-based air defense, aerial surveillance, and precision weaponry. According to the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, this cooperation framework reflects a shared ambition to support the development of a credible European defense structure. It highlights several existing joint projects, including shared use of military equipment such as the NH90 helicopter, the BONUS artillery shell, the AT4F2 anti-tank rocket, and the BvS10 high-mobility vehicle. The partnership has now expanded with the signing of a contract for the procurement of Akeron MP missiles from MBDA by Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), alongside a letter of intent for acquiring Saab’s GlobalEye airborne surveillance system.

In this context, France’s procurement agency DGA is set to enter contractual negotiations to purchase at least two GlobalEye systems to replace the E-3F SDCA (AWACS) aircraft of the French Air and Space Force by 2035. Additionally, discussions between Paris and Stockholm include potential cooperation in medium-range air defense based on the Aster missile, despite Sweden's current reliance on American Patriot systems. However, the most notable development in this framework relates to naval capabilities, with France officially offering its Defense and Intervention Frigate (FDI), known as the Ronarc’h class, for Sweden’s next-generation surface combatant program.

This proposal may alter the course of Sweden’s previously launched program to replace the Visby-class corvettes. In January 2021, FMV awarded Saab Kockums a contract to study the design of five new corvettes, designated the Luleå class. By 2023, however, the program’s requirements were revised: the future ships would need extended endurance at sea, increased size (120 meters versus 72 meters for the Visby), and enhanced multi-domain capabilities, including anti-drone operations. These changes led to a reduction in the planned fleet from five to four vessels. The product definition phase was scheduled to conclude by mid-2025, with deliveries of the first units expected from 2030. A strategic partnership was established in May 2024 with British firm Babcock to support the program, but the collaboration has reportedly yielded limited results, opening the door for alternative solutions.

In this context, Stockholm’s interest in the Ronarc’h-class frigate appears consistent with its updated operational needs. The French frigate aligns closely with FMV’s technical specifications and benefits from an advanced production timeline, as it is already entering service with the French Navy. Sweden has previously accepted foreign construction of hulls, such as for the intelligence ship HSwMS Artemis, provided that the weapons integration is carried out domestically in Karlskrona. This condition could be met by Naval Group, which has the industrial capacity to produce two FDI frigates per year at its Lorient shipyard, potentially meeting the Swedish Navy’s timeline.

Designed as a first-rank warship, the Ronarc’h-class frigate has a displacement of approximately 4,500 tons and a length of 122 meters. It is equipped with a KingKlip Mk2 hull-mounted sonar and a CAPTAS-4 towed sonar, the SENTINEL electronic warfare suite, and the Aquilon integrated naval communication system. Its open digital architecture allows continuous system upgrades in line with technological and operational developments. The ship features 16 Sylver A50 vertical launch cells capable of deploying Aster 15 and Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles, a 76 mm main gun, two remotely operated 20 mm guns, MU90 lightweight torpedoes, and Exocet anti-ship missiles. It can also accommodate a combat helicopter and several unmanned aerial vehicles, providing multi-domain operational capacity in projection, strike, and surveillance roles.

France’s proposal to supply Sweden with FDI frigates represents a concrete development in their strategic defense relationship. As the war in Ukraine continues to reshape European security priorities, this Franco-Swedish partnership, rooted in capability-based cooperation, reflects a broader effort to structure a cohesive European defense pillar where industrial compatibility and operational interoperability converge.

 

[Nilgiri]

A look into the FDI frigate:

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@Anmdt et al,

It is interesting but makes sense the Swedes are attracted to a smaller hull/tonnage for more confined waters that packs more of a punch compared to the type 31 (especially the RN variant which has relatively low armament and relatively mid tier sensoring for its tonnage....though this was all due to keeping prices down while having a hull for future growth etc). Being based off the Iver Huitfeldt does give Type 31 a lot of room to grow apparently.

Maybe a Swedish version of the Type 31 would have ended up looking more like the Polish version in development now, the list of requirements looks a lot closer to that one. Procurement/timeline wise the Polish version is even further from service than the RN ones (the first hull only started construction a couple of months ago)

Trade-off with the FDI compared to something like the Type 31 is of course future growth, but Swedes probably assigned lower priority to that compared to procurement need and immediate armament+sensoring / tonnage ratio....and also French acquiring Swedish AWACs platform instead of the wedgetail like rest of NATO (economy of scale w.r.t US decision earlier for E-7 wedgetail)

Your thoughts if any?

 

[Anmdt]

It is interesting but makes sense the Swedes are attracted to a smaller hull/tonnage for more confined waters that packs more of a punch compared to the type 31 (especially the RN variant which has relatively low armament and relatively mid tier sensoring for its tonnage....though this was all due to keeping prices down while having a hull for future growth etc). Being based off the Iver Huitfeldt does give Type 31 a lot of room to grow apparently.​

The last line is my favorite spot on, Type 31, it has enormous volumetric space that allows it to be used in multiple secondary duties (and mostly with ease of convertion), future USV integration, USV bays et al, or even evacuation, disaster management duties, medical support.

FDI has a cross-connect enabled diesel+gas turbine propulsion, gas turbines are mostly chosen for highly maneuverable ships (count in the acceleration). With diesel engines we are limited to stepped engine speeds where an engine needs warming up, before going high, in scenarios which ship may require additional power, a diesel+diesel propulsion will be less preferred. This comes two ended; a larger ship has more space to accommodate engine, thus can utilize diesel only propulsion both with fuel efficiency, and exhaust cooling; while a smaller vessel has no option but to go far gas turbine, low efficiency at moderate speeds,and an exhaust with cooling mechanism.

FDI is small, maneuverable, but it lacks the capability for secondary duties (at least, in a level that Type 31, or AH140 can readily support). So this is a decision to be made beforehand, if they are seeking for shallow water operations FDI is a nobrainer (in that setting).​