Naval Group backs its FDI frigate offer to Denmark with three Danish companies

France’s Naval Group is tying its proposal for the Danish navy’s future frigates to local industry. On Wednesday, October 21 it signed in Copenhagen three memoranda of cooperation with Danish companies, with the aim that, if the FDI frigates are chosen, they will be built and maintained in Denmark. The signatures took place at an industry event organised by the French company itself, which made the agreements public in a press release on Friday, October 23.

Each partner covers a different piece. Copenhagen Global takes on drones, autonomous systems and military payloads. Saab Danmark will supply communications equipment. SH Defence will take part in research and development for the design and manufacture of containerised modular mission modules, launch and recovery systems (LARS) for drones, and diving equipment. The French company notes that the memoranda extend and strengthen its long-standing cooperation with Denmark’s naval industry.

“We have been working with these partners for quite some time, as with Danish industry in general, and we are honoured to integrate them even more into our proposal for Denmark’s future frigates,” said Guillaume Weisrock, Naval Group’s senior vice president of sales for Europe and North America. “With our Danish partners, Naval Group can build and maintain the FDI frigate in Denmark,” he added, citing extensive experience of cooperating with local industries around the world.

The company says it has worked with more than 20 Danish companies over the last 15 years and is in contact with nearly 50. Beyond the three memoranda, it invites other companies of the Danish naval industry to contribute to the FDI proposal, but also to join its international supply chain for in-service support, maintenance and other programmes.

The Greek example

Naval Group claims proven experience in involving local industry in building ships and submarines and cites Greece as an example: more than 75 Greek partners have been integrated into the supply chain of FDI production and its other programmes. A characteristic sign of the Greek share is the section of the future frigate Themistoklis built at the Salamis Shipyards and sent to Lorient. The Hellenic Navy has already received its first FDI, with the frigate Kimon raising the Greek flag in Lorient in December 2025.

The French company recalls that three European NATO countries, France, Greece and Sweden, have already ordered a total of 13 FDI frigates. Two have been delivered, one more will be delivered “in a few days”, according to the October 23 release, and five are at various stages of construction. For Sweden, construction of the first frigate, Luleå, began in October. Geopolitiki has also reported on Naval Group’s cooperation with Sweden’s Marine Technology Center.