French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin believes that Sweden should choose France when Sweden, for the first time in decades, acquires four frigates, a larger warship than the existing Visby corvettes.
"We have the capacity to deliver a frigate by 2030, fully equipped, including air defense. And we are of course proposing a partnership with Swedish industry, especially Saab," she says at a press conference at Karlberg Palace in Stockholm, where she met her Swedish counterpart Pål Jonson (M).
These are the so-called Luleå-class ships, which were originally to be built entirely in Sweden, but Sweden is now considering buying them ready-made from abroad. The French alternative would then be based on the Amiral Ronarc'h – 122 meters long and probably at a cost of over 10 billion kronor per ship.
The meeting also discussed French plans to acquire the Swedish signal and command aircraft Globaleye. A letter of intent was signed in June for two aircraft, but no contract is yet in place.
Vautrin says it's about more than just buying equipment – it's about building a relationship.
It is in this spirit that we are moving towards the acquisition of a system like Globaleye. So you see, we are not just customers. We are partners – just as we hope that Sweden can become relevant, for example, with frigates, she says.
