The Defense Committee states in its new report Strengthened defense capability, Sweden as an ally (Ds 2024:6) that Sweden is facing a historic total defense decision.
Since March 7, 2024, Sweden has been a member of the NATO defense alliance. NATO membership means the biggest change in Swedish security policy in 200 years. Sweden has entered into binding mutual defense guarantees in accordance with Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
The serious security policy situation as well as the requirements that follow as an ally mean, according to the Defense Committee, that higher ambitions are required in the military defence. These refer to both content, volume and pace of advancement compared to the defense decision 2020. The increase in capabilities in the military defense needs to be accelerated and adapted to the requirements that follow from being an ally in NATO. Time must be a decisive factor in all political and military decisions that are made in the coming years regarding, for example, personnel, materiel, and infrastructure.
The military units are most important in the development of the military defense. The military units are the core of the military defense and the starting point for the organization of the Armed Forces.
The Defense Committee shares the Armed Forces’ analysis and approves the proposals presented by the authority in, among other things, the Commander-in-Chief’s Military Council. These proposals thus form the basis of the proposals submitted by the Defense Committee. The Swedish Armed Forces’ proposal involves a shift in emphasis towards strengthening the capability and availability of the war organisation. This includes, among other things, an increased focus on air defense through and NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD), increased ability to operate and defend against unmanned vehicles, increased ability for interoperability and being able to be part of NATO’s command system on all levels. The armed forces are also placing an increased focus on developing logistics and Sweden’s ability to form a base and advance area for allied units and increased ability to operate with combat forces outside Sweden’s borders. Part of the overall balance is also to strengthen the navy with, among other things, four new surface combat ships.
In addition, the Defense Committee proposes further measures to strengthen the war organisation. The Defense Committee’s proposal includes that, among other things:
- Prioritization of two brigades, with the aim of having three mechanized brigades and one infantry brigade substantially operational by 2030.
- The formation of a new field unit in the form of a Northland infantry regiment in the war organization (this should not be confused with the setting up of an organizational unit).
- An increase in conscription from today’s 8,000 to 10,000 in 2030 and 12,000 in 2032, and that a further increase to 14,000 in 2035 should be considered.
- Increased personnel access to the navy to ensure the operational utilization of the fleet.
- Expanded anti-aircraft capability to meet the threat from various types of unmanned aerial vehicles.
- Additional procurement of supplies, including ammunition including fighter and cruise robots and spare parts.
- New territorial units, organized into about twenty companies and platoons.
- Ensure refresher training for war organization requirements.
- Reinforcement to the voluntary defense organizations.
- Expansion of officer training.
The defense committee also proposes long-term planning for Sweden’s military support to Ukraine. With regard to defense equipment, the committee believes that the control of particularly large areas of equipment, such as the fighter air area and the underwater area, needs to be developed, and that access to ammunition in all readiness levels should constitute a new essential security interest/strategic area of equipment with the aim of securing security of supply in war.
The defense committee would like to emphasize that the proposals submitted by the committee may need to be adjusted depending on the development of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the uncertain security policy situation. In addition, the Riksdag and the government will have to take into account Sweden’s NATO membership and the related demands on the war organization for both the civil and military defense, including upcoming goals for the capabilities of the Swedish military defense.
The Defense Committee’s proposal means that the supplement for the military defense will come gradually from the year 2025, so that in 2030 it will amount to a total of SEK 52.8 billion, of which SEK 20 billion is made up by the Defense Committee’s proposal. For civil defense, the increase will be at least SEK 15 billion per year from 2028.
The Defense Committee believes that the head of the Ministry of Defense should consider giving the Defense Committee instructions to continue following the development of defense and security policy.
