"This is one of the largest Swedish defence investments since the Gripen fighter jet was introduced in the 1980s," Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said at press conference aboard a navy corvette in Stockholm.

"With this decision, I am convinced that Sweden is now helping to make the Baltic Sea significantly safer in the future," he said.

"It is a tripling of Sweden's air defence capability compared with today."

The Nordic country had also evaluated offers from the UK's Babcock together with Sweden's own Saab and Spain's Navantia.

Kristersson said Sweden had opted for the French Fregate de Defense et d'Intervention (FDI) based on criteria including rapid delivery, a model already produced and proven, and the possibility of sharing costs, particularly with Greece.

France had said in August that it could deliver a "fully equipped" frigate as early as 2030.

The deal represents a success for the French group, which suffered a setback last year when neighbouring Norway opted for British-built frigates instead.

The first frigate would be delivered in 2030, followed by one per year over the next three years.

The "final price" will depend on what armaments and equipment are included.

When pressed for a ballpark figure, Defence Minister Pal Jonson said the average price was expected at "just over 10 billion kronor ($1.1 billion) each".

France has already ordered five FDI frigates, with the first, the Amiral Ronarc'h, undergoing sea trials and expected to go into full service this year.

Greece has also ordered four of the multi-purpose warship, designed to counter surface, submarine and aerial threats.

- Gearing up -

After the Cold War, Sweden slashed its defence spending as it focused military efforts on international peacekeeping missions.

It reversed course following Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, and accelerated its increase in military spending following Russia's invasion of Ukraine,

That prompted Sweden to reverse decades of neutrality and join NATO in 2024, and embark on a massive rearmament effort.

Defence spending is expected to reach 3.5 percent of GDP by 2030, up from 2.8 percent this year.

In the coming negotiations with Naval Group, Sweden will demand that Swedish systems can be integrated, citing in particular the anti-ship missiles of Swedish arms giant Saab and guns from BAE Systems Bofors, Jonson said.

Sweden and France have moved closer on defence in recent years, illustrated by several recent French orders from Saab.

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Sweden's decision and "the trust placed in France" in a post on X.

In December, France said it would order two GlobalEye surveillance aircraft made by Saab for 12.3 billion kronor.

Saab also announced on Monday that it had received an order from France for 17 Giraffe 1X radars.

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