Saab receives order to equip Sweden’s new FDI frigates, announcing a contract on November 6, 2026, to provide and integrate weapon control systems and sensors for the Swedish Navy’s four-ship program, according to the company.
Saab said it signed the agreement with the French defense shipbuilder Naval Group to supply systems for the new frigates. The order is valued at approximately SEK 2 billion, about 203.4 million USD, with deliveries to Naval Group scheduled from 2027 to 2034.
“We are proud to equip Swedish ships with our cutting-edge products,” said Mats Wicksell, who leads Saab’s Naval business area. He added that the program underscores Saab’s focus on capabilities for its home market through cooperation, and that the Swedish Navy will gain integrated tools to detect, deter, and respond to threats on and below the water, including asymmetric challenges across the maritime domain.
According to Saab, the scope includes a Weapon Control System, Fire Control Director Ceros and EOS 500, the RBS15 anti-ship missile, the Saab Lightweight Torpedo, the Trackfire Remote Weapon Station, and the Sea Giraffe 1X lightweight multi-mission surveillance radar.
Saab receives order: context and program background
The procurement contract formalized on August 31, 2026, marked a significant step in European naval cooperation and in the Baltic region’s defense posture. Valued at about €4.3 billion, the agreement tasks Naval Group with delivering four Defense and Intervention Frigates to the Royal Swedish Navy.
Key elements of the wider program include:
- Enhanced Baltic deterrence: The acquisition is intended to substantially expand Sweden’s air-defense and anti-submarine warfare capacity for operations in the Baltic Sea and the High North.
- National system integration: Built on Naval Group’s FDI design with its inverted bow and digital architecture, the ships will integrate Swedish systems such as Saab’s Giraffe 1X radars, RBS15 anti-ship missiles, and BAE Systems Bofors guns.
- Compressed delivery timeline: The first-in-class FDI Luleå advanced rapidly to steel cutting in Lorient one month after contract award, with deliveries planned from 2030 to 2034.
The program reflects a strengthening industrial partnership between France and Sweden and is expected to equip the Royal Swedish Navy with multirole combatants suited to protecting vital reinforcement routes for NATO in the years ahead. Related discussions on European naval modernization and missions were highlighted at Euronaval 2026.
The Royal Swedish Navy operates under the authority of the Swedish Armed Forces, which oversee the country’s overall defense posture.