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Luleå-class frigate

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Luleå class
Refuelling-at-sea test by the French frigate Amiral Ronarc'h, March 2026
Class overview
NameLuleå class
BuildersNaval Group
Operators Swedish Navy
Preceded byVisby class
In commission2030 (expected)
Planned4
General characteristics
TypeGeneral-purpose frigate
Displacement4,460 t (4,390 long tons)
Length122 m (400 ft 3 in)
Beam17.7 m (58 ft 1 in)
Propulsion
Speed≤ 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph)[1]
Range5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) (at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph))
Endurance45 days[2]
Complement125 (+ 28 passengers)
Sensors &
processing systems
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • Systems:
    • Thales SENTINEL R-ESM
    • Thales ALTESSE-H C-ESM
  • Counter-measures:
    • Naval Group CMLS with CANTO anti-torpedo decoys
Armament
Aircraft carried
Aviation facilities
  • Helicopter hangar (for 1 helicopter and 1 UAV)
  • Flight deck[6]

The Luleå class is a Swedish frigate class under development. In total four ships are planned to be built. The first two ships are to be commissioned by 2030 and two more by 2035. In June 2023 it was announced that the four ships would receive names after Swedish coastal cities: HSwMS Luleå, HSwMS Norrköping, HSwMS Trelleborg, and HSwMS Halmstad.[7][8]

Development

[edit]

In January 2021 Saab Kockums was awarded a contract for the product definition phase of the Visby gen 2 corvettes by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV). These ships were intended to be an evolved version of the Visby-class corvettes currently in service with the Swedish Navy. However, a rapidly changing geopolitical situation in large part due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and Sweden's subsequent application to join NATO led to the cancellation of the Visby gen 2 in favour of a clean sheet design, the Luleå class.[9][10][11]

As the Swedish Navy wants the Luleå class built and commissioned quickly. In 2021 FMV awarded Saab Kockums a contract to study the design of five new corvettes in Sweden. A similar arrangement was also used for the construction of HSwMS Artemis.[11][12] By 2023, however, the program’s requirements were revised to be closer to a frigate: the future ships would need extended endurance at sea, increased size (120 metres versus 72 metres for the Visby), and enhanced multi-domain capabilities, including anti-drone operations. These changes led to a reduction in the planned fleet from five to four vessels. The product definition phase was scheduled to conclude by mid-2025, with deliveries of the first units expected from 2030. In May 2024 Saab signed a contract with British shipbuilder Babcock for the design of the future ship class based on the Type 31 frigate.[13][14] But the collaboration has reportedly yielded limited results, opening the door for alternative solutions. In June 2025 France and Sweden signed a defence roadmap as Naval Group positions the FDI for Swedish surface ship programme.[15][16][17]

On 24 November 2025, Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson announced that Sweden would choose a supplier for the four Luleå-class frigates in early 2026.[18] Four firms are in competition for the program: Saab, Naval Group, Babcock, and Navantia (with the last three of them offering an already existing design adapted for Swedish requirements). In early 2026 both Spain and France sent warships to Sweden showing off their concepts for the future Luleå class.[19][20] On 10 February 2026 Naval group signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Swedish shipyard Oresund Drydocks AB for future maintenance and service support for Swedish naval vessels.[21]

On 19 May 2026, the Swedish government announced it would buy the four FDI frigates from French company Naval Group, citing the speed of delivery as a key factor in its decision.[22]

Offers

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The Swedish Government chose to go with Naval Group.[27]

Design

[edit]

The Luleå class will be the largest ships in service with the Swedish Navy at over 120 metres (390 ft) long. Increased range and endurance will be important factors. The ships will primarily be armed with surface-to-air missiles.[11] Although the ships will be built by Naval Group in France they will be fitted with many Swedish weapon systems and sensors like the Robot 15, Giraffe 1X radar, SAAB Trackfire remote weapon stations and Torped 47.[28] The Swedish ships will swap the Oto Melara 76 mm on the French and Greek versions of FDI class for a Bofors 57 mm gun. It will also be equipped with a Bofors 40 mm gun and MBDA CAMM-ER missiles for improved air defence.[29] They will also be serviced and maintained in Sweden.[30]

Ships

[edit]
No. Name Builder Status Contract Laid down Launched Comm. Notes
 Swedish Navy - 4 planned
TBD HSwMS Luleå [sv] Naval Group, Lorient, France Planned - - 2030 [31]
TBD HSwMS Norrköping Planned - - 2031
TBD HSwMS Halmstad Planned - - 2032
TBD HSwMS Trelleborg Planned - - 2033
  Planned dates

References

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  1. ^ a b "In focus: The FDI – France's mid-size frigate". 29 December 2025.
  2. ^ "France accelerates the FDI frigates program". navyrecognition.com. 30 March 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  3. ^ "Sweden Selects Naval Group's FDI for Future Luleå-class Frigates". 19 May 2026.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Sweden chooses Naval Group". 19 May 2026. Archived from the original on 21 May 2026.
  5. ^ "Saab to deliver new torpedo tubes for Swedish corvettes". 25 May 2022.
  6. ^ "France's first fully digital frigate undergoing trials". Archived from the original on 10 October 2025. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |ldate= ignored (help)
  7. ^ "Det ska marinens nya fartyg heta" (in Swedish). Forsvarsmakten. 21 June 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  8. ^ Liikamaa, Amanda (23 June 2023). "Marinens nya fartyg döps till HMS Luleå". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Saab får två kontrakt för nästa generations korvetter för svenska marinen". Start (in Swedish). Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  10. ^ "Nya ytstridsfartyg". www.fmv.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  11. ^ a b c "Försämrat säkerhetsläge stoppar utvecklingen av nya Visbykorvetter". Blekinge Läns Tidning (in Swedish). 15 February 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  12. ^ Staff, Naval News (20 April 2019). "Future Swedish Navy SIGINT vessel launched in Poland". Naval News. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  13. ^ "Saab väljer Babcock för design av Luleå-klassen". Försvarssektorn (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  14. ^ "Saab in cooperation with Babcock for the Swedish Navy's Future Surface Combatants". Start.
  15. ^ "France and Sweden sign defence roadmap as Naval Group positions FDI frigate for Swedish surface ship programme | Shephard". www.shephardmedia.com.
  16. ^ Häggblom, Robin (4 July 2025). "Sweden looking at alternatives for Luleå-class heavy corvettes".
  17. ^ Fretay, Halna du. "Sweden Considers French Defense Frigates to Strengthen Naval Power in Baltic Sea". www.armyrecognition.com.
  18. ^ "Sweden to decide on supplier for new frigates early next year". Reuters. 24 November 2025. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  19. ^ "Spanskt militärfartyg lägger till vid Stadsgårdskajen | SVT Nyheter". www.svt.se. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  20. ^ "Franskt militärfartyg lägger till i Göteborg | SVT Nyheter". www.svt.se. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  21. ^ "Naval Group signs strategic partnership agreement with Swedish shipyard Oresund Drydocks AB" (PDF). oddab.eu.
  22. ^ "Sweden confirms purchase of four frigates from France's Naval Group". Le Monde. 19 May 2026.
  23. ^ NavyLookout (9 February 2026). "Babcock pitches Arrowhead-120 variant for the Swedish Luleå-class frigate programme - Navy Lookout". Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  24. ^ Allison, George (2 September 2025). "Scottish shipyard may build frigates for Sweden and Denmark". Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  25. ^ Newdick, Thomas (24 November 2025). "Swedish Navy To Acquire Frigates, Its Biggest Surface Combatants In Nearly 50 Years". The War Zone. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  26. ^ Staff, Naval News (28 January 2026). "Navantia presents in Sweden its experience in the design, construction and through-life support of modern frigates". Naval News. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  27. ^ "Sverige ska köpa fyra fregatter av Frankrike". www.forsvarsmakten.se (in Swedish). 19 May 2026. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  28. ^ Vavasseur, Xavier (19 May 2026). "Sweden Selects Naval Group's FDI for Future Luleå-class Frigates". Naval News. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  29. ^ Ruitenberg, Rudy (19 May 2026). "Sweden picks France's FDI frigates in potential $4.2 billion deal". Defense News. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  30. ^ https://regeringen.se/pressmeddelanden/2026/05/beslut-om-forhandling-med-frankrike-om-luftforsvarsfregatt-av-luleaklass/
  31. ^ "Franska fregatter till Försvarsmakten (Swedish: French frigates to the Armed forces)". Försvarsmakten (Swedish armed forces). 19 May 2026. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
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