STOCKHOLM, Aug 31 (Reuters) – Sweden’s defence material administration on Monday signed an order for four Naval Group navy frigates during a ceremony in Stockholm attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
Sweden in May said it would order the vessels from the French company in a $4 billion deal that will triple its air defence capacity in the face of security threats in the Baltic Sea.
Sweden, NATO’s newest member, is racing to build up its military in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The first of the four new frigates, which will be the Swedish navy’s biggest ships, is expected to be delivered in 2030.
The deal comes as France and Sweden deepen defence ties, pushing for greater European military self-reliance at a time when doubts over U.S. President Donald Trump’s commitment to Europe are prompting governments across the continent to rethink their dependence on American weapons and security guarantees.
(Reporting by Anna Ringstrom, additional reporting by Michel Rose in Paris, editing by Terje Solsvik)
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