French defense naval shipbuilding prime Naval Group has formally signed three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Danish industrial partners—Copenhagen Global, Saab Danmark, and SH Defence—during an industry event held in Copenhagen.
Executed to bolster Naval Group’s industrial participation and offset framework for the Royal Danish Navy’s upcoming surface combatant replacement program, the agreements establish collaborative engineering, research & development, and production pipelines for the Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention (FDI) offer. Under the agreed terms, Naval Group will partner with Copenhagen Global for uncrewed aerial/surface vehicles, autonomous C2 integration, and military payloads; with Saab Danmark for tactical communication suites and internal network infrastructure; and with SH Defence for R&D in containerized mission modules (The Cube system), Launch and Recovery Systems (LARS) for maritime drones, and specialized naval diving equipment.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: NAVAL GROUP FDI FRIGATE & DANISH INDUSTRIAL INTEGRATION
Program Partners & Industrial Workshare Allocation
⚡ Prime OEM & Shipbuilder: Naval Group (Lorient, France)
⚡ Uncrewed Systems & Payloads Partner: Copenhagen Global A/S (Copenhagen, Denmark) — UxV autonomy, drone payloads, tactical sensors
⚡ C4I & Communications Integrator: Saab Danmark A/S (Sønderborg, Denmark) — Internal/external tactical communication architecture
⚡ Modular Payload & LARS Specialist: SH Defence (Svenstrup, Denmark) — Containerized mission modules (“The Cube”), drone Launch and Recovery Systems (LARS), and specialized diving gear 
FDI Frigate Platform Baseline Specifications
💥 Vessel Displacement & Hull Geometry: Displacement: 4,500 tons (full load) | Length: 122 meters | Beam: 17.7 meters | Inverted bow design for rough seas stability
💥 Propulsion Architecture: Combined Diesel and Diesel (CODAD) configuration producing 32 MW (42,900 hp) driving 2 shafts
💥 Dynamic Performance: Maximum speed: 27 knots | Operational range: 5,000 nautical miles at 15 knots | Endurance: 45 days autonomous deployment
💥 Sea-Keeping & Stealth: Segmented radar-evading superstructure lines, reduced acoustic/infrared signature, and seaworthiness up to Sea State 7
Sensors, Radar & Modular Payload Interfaces
🚀 Radar & Combat Management System: Thales Sea Fire 500 4-panel fixed-array 3D AESA radar paired with the SETIS 3.0 Combat Management System (CMS)
🚀 Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) Silos: 32× Sylver A50/A70 vertical launch system (VLS) cells housing Aster 15 / Aster 30 B1NT surface-to-air missiles
🚀 Modular Mission Deck (SH Defence “The Cube” Integration): Dedicated mission bay designed to host SH Defence standardized ISO-containerized modules for mine countermeasures (MCM), anti-submarine warfare (ASW) towed arrays, and uncrewed vehicle stowage
🚀 Autonomous Systems LARS: Specialized Launch and Recovery Systems engineered for heavy-weather deployment of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs)
TIMES OF DEFENCE ASSESSMENT
Naval Group’s signing of three targeted MoUs in Copenhagen represents a crucial industrial move in its campaign to market the FDI frigate to the Royal Danish Navy. As European navies prioritize sovereign industrial participation alongside off-the-shelf warship procurements, building deep local industrial partnerships is essential for winning major defense tenders.
From an engineering and operational standpoint, integrating SH Defence’s “The Cube” mission module system into the FDI hull provides the Royal Danish Navy with a versatile multi-mission platform. “The Cube” allows frigates to rapidly reconfigure between mine warfare, anti-submarine surveillance, and drone launch roles using standardized containerized modules. Combining this modularity with Saab Danmark’s communications suites and Copenhagen Global’s autonomous payload integration transforms the FDI into a highly adaptable surface combatant tailored for shallow-water Baltic operations and high-intensity NATO North Atlantic patrols.
