French Frigate Docks in Sweden as $5 Billion Defense Deal Heats Up

By Charlie Duxbury Feb 2, 2026 (Bloomberg) – The French navy sailed its new frigate Amiral Ronarc’h into Sweden’s Gothenburg harbor on Monday as it works to sway the Nordic state into buying four similar models.

Sweden is in the final stages of deciding a supplier to build its first larger warships since the 1980s for a combined value of around $5 billion. In the race are France’s Naval Group SA, the UK’s Babcock International Group Plc and Spain’s Navantia SA.

Sweden’s Defense Minister Pal Jonson told Bloomberg in mid-January that a final decision would be made “this spring.”

NATO Defense Spending Surge

The looming deal is the latest example of European NATO members boosting military spending in the wake of President Donald Trump’s demands that they do more to deter adversaries, especially nearby Russia. Many are pivoting from decades of post-Cold War defense cuts.

Sweden aims to hit the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s new 3.5% target of defensive outlays by 2030, in part through a 300 billion-krona ($33 billion) borrowing program over the coming eight years, it has said.

In August, Norway said it would buy British frigates for $13 billion, creating 2,000 jobs BAE Systems Plc’s shipyard in Glasgow. Denmark is in the late stages of deciding on a supplier for new frigates and has suggested it could coordinate its purchase with Sweden. The French vessel docked at Copenhagen in January.

Competition Heats Up

The competition to sell frigates to Sweden has been in full swing since the middle of last year when the country’s procurement agency, FMV, said it would engage with suppliers about buying an “off the shelf” solution rather than develop its own frigate with domestic supplier Saab AB.

Spain’s Navantia sailed an older frigate into Stockholm harbor last week, saying it can deliver a customizable light frigate quickly.

On board the 400-foot (122-meter) long Amiral Ronarc’h on Monday, Captain Nicolas Guiraud pointed out what he saw as the craft’s most eye-catching features including its sonar and computer systems and missiles known as Aster 30. The ship is currently completing final trials.

“This is a true, already existing, multipurpose frigate which can operate in the north,” said Guillaume Weisrock, deputy director for sales development in Europe for Naval Group, who was also on board.

Strategic Advantage

Johan Granholm, a lecturer at Sweden’s Defense University, said that the Amiral Ronarc’h may give the French an edge as it is already in the water, allowing crews to train on it, among other things. The British and Spanish alternatives have yet to be built.

Defense Minister Jonson will visit the boat Tuesday.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

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This article contains reporting from Bloomberg, published under license.

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