Sweden will contribute forces to NATO on land, at sea, and in the air next year, the Swedish government announced at a press conference on Monday (7 October).
The Swedish government presented its “Swedish contribution to NATO deterrence and defence in 2025” bill, proposing to send a battalion to Latvia, warships, and aircraft as soon as early 2025. The bill will likely be passed rapidly in the coming weeks.
“This is a historic decision. For the first time as an ally, we will contribute an armed force to NATO’s collective defence,” said Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard during the press conference.
After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO. Sweden was the last country to join the Alliance in March 2024, ending 200 years of military non-alignment.
“Sweden’s entry into NATO is one of the biggest geopolitical changes since the fall of the Berlin Wall,” Stenergard added.
First, Sweden will contribute around 600 troops, in the form of a reduced battalion, to NATO’s forward presence in Latvia, Defence Minister Pål Jonson announced.
“The unit is currently being trained,” the minister said, adding that it will consist of officers and continuously serving soldiers, not conscripts.
The Swedish government will have to coordinate with Denmark and Canada for this deployment, as Denmark is sending a battalion on a six-month basis. Canada leads the NATO troops stationed in Latvia as the framework nation.
Moreover, Sweden will contribute warships to NATO’s standing naval forces, focusing on mine clearance and maritime surveillance capabilities. These warships will be deployed for up to six months in 2025.
The defence minister noted that they are intended to operate in the North Atlantic, emphasising the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.
For example, in the event of an armed attack, both the battalion in Latvia and the warships will be able to stay behind and carry out tasks resulting from NATO’s operational planning.
Finally, Swedish fighter jets will also assist NATO’s air surveillance, according to Swedish Minister for Infrastructure and Housing Andreas Carlson.
“The Swedish contribution is planned for 2025 to consist of eight fighter aircraft and associated personnel,” Carlson said.
Deteriorating situation
The Swedish government is requesting parliamentary approval for its mandate regarding NATO military contributions.
This mandate includes the ability to swiftly reinforce troops abroad without waiting for parliamentary approval, as long as the established ceiling is not exceeded.
“The ceiling we have set is a total of 1,200 soldiers, six warships, and up to 24 Gripen aircraft,” Defence Minister Pål Jonson said, emphasising that this flexibility allows Sweden to “act quickly and decisively in a deteriorating security situation.”
Earlier this year, the head of the Swedish Defence Forces said Russian President Vladimir Putin had “his eyes on” the Swedish island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. The island is strategically located halfway between Sweden and Estonia and only 300 km from Russia’s Baltic Fleet base in the Kaliningrad exclave.
Since the invasion of Crimea in 2014, and particularly following the Ukraine war in 2022, Sweden has reinforced the island, as well as its military exercises. In April 2023, it held its largest military exercise on the island in 25 years, with the participation of Polish and British troops.
[Edited by Martina Monti]
Source: euractiv.com
