The Swedish government on 15 October launched a proposal to invest in a ‘substantial increase of capabilities’ for its armed forces.
In its Totalförsvaret 2021–2025 (Total Defence 2021–2025) bill presented to parliament, Sweden aims to reactivate five army regiments and one air wing, and create a ‘new and expanded war organisation’.
The plan also includes investment in military equipment, cyber defence, ammunition and foreign intelligence capabilities.
If the bill is voted through, funding for the armed forces will grow by SEK27.5 billion by 2025 with SEK79 billion allocated to defence over the next five years.
Total Defence 2021-2025 ‘represents the largest increase in the level of ambition in defence capabilities in 70 years’, said Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist. ‘It is a signal to the Swedish people and our neighbourhood that we are taking the security situation extremely seriously.’
He added: ‘The proposals in the bill should be seen against the background of the deteriorating security situation in Sweden’s neighbourhood and in Europe over time… An armed attack against Sweden cannot be ruled out.’
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
Any potential ‘Arctic Sentry’ mission would be months in the planning, but with tensions high in the region given the US’s push for Greenland, NATO countries will need to continue to emphasise their commitment to the region, analysts have said.
Defence Minister Gen Vladimir Padrino López has declared that the Venezuelan armed forces “will continue to employ all its available capabilities for military defence”.
The UK’s defence spending commitments remain uncertain as the government’s Defence Investment Plan, which had been due by the end of 2025, is yet to be published.
Disruption of infrastructure in Europe, whether by cyberattack, physical damage to pipelines or uncrewed aerial vehicles flying over major airports, as has happened more recently, is on the rise. What is the most effective way of countering the aerial aspect of this not-so-open warfare?
The US State Department’s approval of a multi-billion-dollar sale of weapons to Taiwan includes tactical mission networks equipment, uncrewed aerial systems, artillery rocket systems and self-propelled howitzers as well as anti-tank guided missiles.
Ireland’s multi-annual investment in capital defence spending is set to rise from €300m in 2026 to €360m in 2029–2030 with major upgrades across land, air, maritime and cyber domains.
Connect with us on socials
