On February 2, 2026, the French navy brought its new frigate, Amiral Ronarc’h, to Gothenburg harbor in Sweden. This move is part of France's effort to encourage Sweden to purchase four similar ships.
Sweden is close to choosing a supplier to build its first large warships since the 1980s, with a total budget of around $5 billion. The contenders include France's Naval Group, the UK's Babcock International, and Spain's Navantia.
Sweden's Defense Minister, Pal Jonson, stated in mid-January that a final decision will be made "this spring."
This potential deal is just one of many examples of European NATO members increasing their military spending. This shift comes after President Donald Trump urged these countries to enhance their defense capabilities, particularly in light of threats from Russia. Many nations are moving away from years of post-Cold War budget cuts.
Sweden aims to meet NATO's new target of 3.5% of defense spending by 2030. As part of this plan, the country has outlined a 300 billion-krona ($33 billion) borrowing strategy for the next eight years.
In August, Norway announced its intention to purchase British frigates for $13 billion, which will create 2,000 jobs at BAE Systems' shipyard in Glasgow. Denmark is also finalizing its choice for new frigates and has suggested it might coordinate with Sweden on the purchase. The French frigate visited Copenhagen in January.
Competition to sell frigates to Sweden intensified last year when the country's procurement agency, FMV, announced it would seek "off the shelf" solutions instead of developing a new frigate with Swedish supplier Saab AB.
Last week, Spain's Navantia sent an older frigate into Stockholm harbor, claiming it could offer a customizable light frigate on a quick turnaround.
Onboard the 400-foot (122-meter) Amiral Ronarc’h, Captain Nicolas Guiraud highlighted its impressive sonar, computer systems, and Aster 30 missiles. The ship is currently undergoing final trials.
Guillaume Weisrock, who is the deputy director for sales development in Europe for Naval Group, noted, “This is a real, existing multipurpose frigate that can operate in northern waters.”
Johan Granholm, a lecturer at Sweden's Defense University, explained that the Amiral Ronarc’h might give France an advantage since it is already operational, allowing crews to begin training on it, while the British and Spanish options are still under development.
Defense Minister Jonson is scheduled to visit the Amiral Ronarc’h on Tuesday.