What Sweden’s billion euro deal means for the Danish frigate competition

The recent Swedish decision to procure French FDI frigates has strengthened supplier Naval Group’s position in Denmark’s ongoing frigate competition. 

That is at least according to defence analyst at the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy and naval commander Tor Ivar Strømmen.

- I have previously said that the FDI should be a favourite for Denmark. The fact that the Swedes have now chosen this frigate strengthens all my arguments in favour of the French alternative, Strømmen writes in a response to Defence Nordic.

Sweden announced on Wednesday that it will acquire four Amiral Ronarc’h-class frigates from France’s Naval Group in a deal worth approximately SEK 40 billion.

The decision gives France new momentum in a Nordic frigate market that has increasingly become a competition not only between ship designs, but between industrial ecosystems and long-term partnerships.

I have previously said that the FDI should be a favourite for Denmark

Tor Ivar Strømme, naval analyst at RNoNA

For Denmark, which is expected to procure around three new frigates, Sweden’s choice may now influence both the political and industrial calculus surrounding the programme.

Already operational

According to Strømmen, one of the key advantages of a shared Swedish-Danish frigate platform would be the possibility of integrating training, maintenance, logistics, stockpiles and operational support structures across the two countries.

- A shared Swedish-Danish frigate class carries significant potential for operational cooperation, joint training, maintenance, stockpiles, education, quality assurance and close tactical cooperation, he writes.

The argument also aligns closely with Naval Group’s broader pitch in the Nordic competition, as earlier reported by Defence Nordic. The French shipbuilder has consistently emphasised delivery certainty, operational maturity and an already functioning industrial support system.

Unlike several competing frigate programmes still under development, the FDI platform is already operational in both the French and Greek navies. Naval Group has repeatedly framed this as a way to reduce programme risk and accelerate delivery timelines.

Strømmen similarly highlighted the French Navy’s sustainment model as one of the strongest arguments in favour of the platform.

- The French navy does not merely acquire frigates. It keeps them at sea, he previously told Defence Nordic, pointing to operational availability rates above 80 per cent in the French fleet.

That focus on sustainment and lifecycle support may prove increasingly relevant in Denmark, where the debate is not only centred on capability requirements, but also on how much industrial participation and long-term maintenance capacity can be anchored domestically.

Rejects criticism

Sweden’s agreement already includes a substantial role for Swedish industry.

The frigates are expected to integrate multiple Swedish systems, including Saab’s RBS15 anti-ship missile, Saab Lightweight Torpedo systems and Swedish combat management components. 

Saab will also supply radar systems, while maintenance and future development work are expected to take place in Sweden.

That industrial structure could become politically significant if Denmark ultimately seeks closer coordination with Stockholm. The Swedish decision has nevertheless attracted criticism from some defence commentators.

Hans Liwång, professor of defence systems at the Swedish Defence University, questioned whether large frigates are optimised for operations in the Baltic Sea.

- If there are hundreds of drones, they will be difficult to protect and operate in the Baltic Sea, he told Swedish broadcaster TV4.

Strømmen rejects that criticism, arguing that it risks reducing Sweden’s maritime requirements to the Baltic Sea alone.

According to Strømmen, that broader operational requirement is precisely what strengthens the long-term logic behind a larger shared Nordic frigate structure, particularly if Denmark eventually joins the same platform.

In that sense, Sweden’s decision may ultimately prove significant not only because of the ships themselves, but because it shifts the centre of gravity in the Nordic frigate competition towards a more integrated French-Nordic industrial model.