Sweden says it plans to pick a company to build its new frigates by early twenty twenty six. The update came from Defense Minister Pal Jonson on Monday. He said he hopes the decision can be made early next year. He spoke about this while standing beside the French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin.
Sweden wants the first two frigates to be ready by the year twenty thirty. Because of this tight timeline, the country is looking at designs that already exist instead of creating a brand new one from scratch.
One of the main companies trying for the deal is the French shipbuilder Naval Group. The French minister said that France can meet Sweden’s needs. She said they can deliver a fully equipped frigate by twenty thirty and also work closely with Swedish companies like Saab.
There are other strong options as well. Spain’s Navantia and Britain’s Babcock are also in the race. Both are offering plans that include teaming up with Saab to build the ships.
Sweden will now start comparing all these offers so it can choose the best partner for the project.