Construction Begins in France on FDI Frigate for Sweden

French shipbuilder Naval Group began construction of the first Luleå-class frigate for the Swedish Navy on October 2.

According to the company’s official website, construction began just one month after the contract was signed. Construction officially began with a steel-cutting ceremony at Naval Group’s shipyard in Lorient, France.

“Today, it is a great honor for us to begin production of the FDI Luleå in Lorient. All Naval Group sites and teams are fully committed to the successful delivery of the program, in close cooperation with FMV in both France and Sweden,” said Vincent Martino-Lagarde, Naval Group’s Head of Surface Ships.

Construction Contract

Naval Group signed the contract for the construction of four frigates on August 31, 2026. The contract is valued at approximately €4.3 billion.

Sweden plans to receive the frigates between 2030 and 2034: the first, HMS Luleå, in 2030; HMS Norrköping in 2032; HMS Trelleborg in 2033; and HMS Halmstad in 2034.

The Swedish version of the frigates will carry several locally produced systems. These include Saab lightweight torpedoes, the RBS 15 anti-ship missile system, the Giraffe 1X radar, the Trackfire remotely operated weapon station, and BAE Systems Bofors 57 mm and 40 mm naval guns. At the same time, Sweden has already begun training personnel to operate the new ships.

FDI Frigates

FDI (Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention) is a French class of first-rank, multi-purpose frigates developed by Naval Group as a more compact alternative to the FREMM frigates.

Specifications

• Displacement: approximately 4,500 tonnes
• Length: 122 m
• Beam: 18 m
• Maximum speed: up to 27 knots
• Endurance: approximately 45 days
• Crew of the French version: approximately 125–130 sailors

Armament

• Primary air-defense armament: Aster 15/30 missiles
• Anti-ship armament: Exocet MM40 B3C missiles
• Main gun: 76 mm naval gun
• Torpedo armament: MU90 torpedo launchers