The Swedish Minister of Defence Pål Jonson now says that Sweden will be ready to place an order for four new frigates at the beginning of the new year. Four manufacturers are competing for the order: Saab Kockums, Naval Group, Babcock and Navantia.
The frigates are to replace the Swedish corvettes of the Luleå-class, but are significantly larger than these, due to changed challenges for the Swedish navy.
The announcement is also interesting in Denmark, because the Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen earlier this month announced that Denmark and Sweden are investigating the possibilities for a frigate cooperation.
“In that context, we are now discussing whether it is possibly something we can do in a closer cooperation, where we could potentially benefit greatly both from purchasing them together, but just as much also in relation to operating them,” said Troels Lund Poulsen according to DR News after a meeting with his Swedish colleague.
The Minister of Defence, however, stressed that at the present time, no political decision had been made regarding a Danish-Swedish frigate cooperation.
-mauh
