Sweden inks French war ship order

Sweden's defence ​material administration on Monday ​signed an order ‌for four ​Naval Group navy frigates during a ceremony in Stockholm attended by ‌French President Emmanuel Macron and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. Sweden in May said it would order the vessels from ‌the French company in a $4 billion deal that will ‌triple its air defence capacity in the face of security threats in the Baltic Sea.

Sweden, NATO's newest member, is racing ⁠to ​build up ⁠its military in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The ⁠first of the four new frigates, which will be the ​Swedish navy's biggest ships, is expected to be ⁠delivered in 2030. The deal comes as France and Sweden deepen ⁠defence ​ties, pushing for greater European military self-reliance at a time when doubts over U.S. President Donald ⁠Trump's commitment to Europe are prompting governments across the continent ⁠to rethink their ⁠dependence on American weapons and security guarantees.