Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson said it was more important than ever to invest in air defence capabilities, noting that deliveries were relatively fast amid pressure on Europe's defence industry. The announcement comes amid NATO tensions, with US President Donald Trump reportedly calling the alliance a paper tiger and Secretary of State Marco Rubio warning Washington would have to re-examine its relationship with NATO. The US renewed accusations that European allies piggy-back on US defences while neglecting their own capabilities.
Jonson said he did not see the US leaving NATO but stressed Europe must shoulder a greater defence burden, stating that Europe must take much greater responsibility for its own security by investing heavily in its armed forces. 7 billion Swedish kronor. The agreements are a result of the collaboration project Gute between FMV, the Swedish Armed Forces, and Swedish defence industry.
It is more important than ever to invest in air defence capabilities.
Deliveries to build up Sweden's defence against drones will take place from 2027 to 2028. The base of the capability will consist of BAE Systems Bofors' Tridon MK2 air defence cannon mounted on a truck with 40 mm calibre, and Saab's remote weapon station Trackfire with 30 mm cannons. Trackfire can be mounted both stationary and on vehicles.
The air defence systems are primarily effective against drones and helicopters. The mobility allows rapid transport of the air defence over longer distances. The systems can be used to protect military units as well as infrastructure such as nuclear power plants, railway junctions, and cities.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said that we will need to see an increase of more than 400% in air defence capabilities within the NATO alliance.
The agreements also include command and control systems, sensor systems such as Saab's Giraffe 1X radar, and electronic warfare systems. There are also agreements for ammunition and about 70 trucks and terrain vehicles with Norwegian Nammo and Finnish Sisu. In January, the government announced an investment of 15 billion kronor in territorial air defence tied to a specific geographic area.
The territorial air defence is intended to protect not only military units but also civilian infrastructure. The Swedish Armed Forces aim to train up to 50 air defence companies for territorial protection in the coming years. Army Chief Jonny Lindfors said the current investment is a start and will cover a good part of the 50 companies but not all.
The obvious answer to that is that Europe must take much greater responsibility for its own security by investing heavily in its armed forces.
GUTE II builds on an earlier counter-drone concept developed based on lessons learned from the war in Ukraine. Jonas Lotsne, Head of FMV's Army Materiel business area, said the concept is unique and being scaled up through series orders. 6 billion Swedish kronor for a modular C-UAS system.
Carl-Johan Bergholm, Head of Saab's Surveillance business area, said the system enhances airspace security by detecting, tracking, and engaging threats from unmanned aerial vehicles. BAE Systems Bofors' Tridon Mk2 air defence system is included in the investment. FMV's order to BAE Systems Bofors is worth the equivalent of 180 million US dollars.
It is more important than ever to invest in air defence capabilities. Protection against airborne threats is a high priority for the government, and we will conclude further agreements to strengthen Swedish defence.
The concept has been developed in close dialogue with Ukraine. According to Jonson, the system would stand up well in Ukraine. In the past year, the government has announced air defence investments of over 50 billion kronor – the largest build-up since World War II.
Saab's C-UAS is a modular, mobile platform designed to detect and neutralise low-flying small- to medium-sized drones. The system integrates field-proven Saab sensors and effectors as well as selected third-party technologies.
This is a unique concept that we are now scaling up through series orders. The sub-systems are already in service with the Swedish Armed Forces, they are fully automatic and relatively straightforward to operate. They provide a capability to engage drones rapidly and in a synchronised manner, which is absolutely decisive on today's battlefield.
With today's order, Sweden receives an advanced mobile, modular system for countering drones. This technology enhances airspace security by detecting, tracking, and engaging threats from unmanned aerial vehicles, and can be readily integrated with other systems.
Air defence is a high priority during the ongoing rearmament of the defence.
The wars, especially in Ukraine but also in connection with Iran, show the importance of a strong air defence that can meet threats from drones and helicopters but also from rockets and missiles.
It will be an important addition to the Swedish defence and Sweden's air defence, and Sweden's population will also benefit from us making this investment.
The strength of the system is that it is modular and adaptable to meet different types of threats.
With today's order Sweden will acquire an advanced mobile, modular counter-unmanned aerial system. This technology enhances airspace security by detecting, tracking, and mitigating unmanned aerial threats, and can be easily integrated with other systems.