Portal partners
Sweden signed four frigates of the type LULEÅ
Author:Mariusz Dasiewicz
Sweden signed a contract with the French Naval Group to supply four frigates of type LULEÅ for Svenska marinan. Ships will be based on an FDI project that is already being built for France and Greece. The first Swedish frigate is scheduled to be delivered in 2030.
In the article
The agreement was signed on board the French frigate FDI Amiral Ronarc’hwho entered Stockholm in connection with the ceremony. Contract signatures were signed today on 31 August by the CEO of the Swedish Defence Procurement Agency FMV Mikael Granholm and the president of the Naval Group Pierre Éric Pommellet. The ceremony was attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
The contract was signed less than four months after Selection of the French tender. Sweden decided on an FDI project in May, ending the procedure for the acquisition of new frigate class ships LULEÅ.
First frigate type LULEÅ in 2030
The short delivery date of the first vessel is to be made possible by using a working production line Naval Group. The FDI frigates are already being built for Marine nationale and the Greek Navy.
According to FMV, supplies of Swedish frigates are scheduled for 2030–2034. Ships will receive the names of four Swedish ports. He's supposed to be the first to be on duty. Luleå in 2030. HMS Norrköping scheduled for 2032, HMS Trelleborg at 2033 and HMS Halmstad for 2034.
The agreement also includes broad industrial cooperation and technology transfer to Swedish defence companies. In parallel, the defence ministers of Sweden and France signed an agreement on long-term military and industrial cooperation.
Armed frigate type LULEÅ
frigates of type LULEÅ are to be armed with missile anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense systems with long-range Aster 30 missiles and a mid-range CAMM-ER.
Swedish production systems will also be integrated on ships. Among them, FMV lists Saab RBS15 anti-ship missiles, light torpedoes combating submarines Saab Tp47, automatic cannons BAE Systems Bofors 57 mm Mk 3 and 40 mm Mk 4, small caliber Saab Trackfire weapons stations and Saab Sea Giraffe 1X radio-location stations.
The ships are to be equipped with a Sylver A50 vertical launcher for Aster family missiles and a new Sylver Cold Launch system designed for CAMM-ER.
MdCN on Swedish frigates for now without contract
The possibility of arming frigates of type remains a separate issue LULEÅ in MdCN maneuvering missiles, also known as Naval Cruise Missile. Some French media reported that Sweden would become the first foreign user of this weapon, but according to Naval News, signed on 31 August, the contract does not cover this.
The current configuration does not predict the Sylver A70 launcher required to launch MdCN. Discussions on the acquisition of these missiles are to be held only at the initial stage.
One of the options under consideration is a solution similar to that applied in the Greek case FDI frigate, assuming the possibility of later replacing one Sylver A50 module with Sylver A70. This would enable Swedish frigates to be equipped with maneuvering missiles for combating land purposes in the future.
He also referred to this possibility Emmanuel Macron during a visit on board Amiral Ronarc’h, indicating the possibility of equipping Swedish ships with both Aster missiles and future MdCN.
Unmanned frigates and systems
Commander Svenska marinen Rear Admiral Johan Norlén stresses that the acquisition of large navigable vessels is linked to the change of tasks of the Swedish Navy after the country's accession to NATO.
However, the Swedes do not treat unmanned systems as successors to large warships. Experience from the Black Sea has shown that unmanned submarines can effectively limit the ability of enemy ships to operate in certain areas. However, in the opinion of Svenska marinen Command, they will not replace the frigate in the tasks of maintaining control at sea, protecting shipping or securing critical maritime infrastructure.
frigates of type LULEÅ they are intended to be the most important element of this concept, at the same time cooperating with unmanned vessels and other systems intended for diagnosis and surveillance.
