The exercise includes all branches of the Swedish Armed Forces and the Home Guard, with a focus on maritime and air domains in the Baltic Sea region. Key activities include reinforcement and sustainment, reception, staging, and onward movement, integrated air and missile defences, targeting, and joint fires. Ukrainian drone operators are participating alongside the UAS Centre, according to the Swedish Armed Forces.
The exercise is mainly concentrated in southern Sweden and on Gotland, where allied long-range weapon systems reinforcement and total defence activities are planned. Host nation support is provided in the form of protection, security, transport, accommodation, food, and fuel, with Rear Admiral Jonas Wikström, the exercise director, stating that the exercise focuses on host nation support and logistics, including transport of military capabilities. The Swedish Armed Forces state that the exercise involves 13 countries, though some sources report 12 nations, a discrepancy that may reflect a last-minute change or counting difference.
American soldiers arrived in Sweden during the weekend before the exercise start. The exercise is a Swedish national exercise closely linked to US exercises IMMEDIATE RESPONSE 26 and BALTOPS 26, and is an INVITEX and a Key Strategic Activity under a Consolidated Strategic Opportunity. According to Rear Admiral Wikström, the exercise differs from previous Aurora exercises by focusing on new operational plans as an ally and host nation support, and it centres on responding to a serious military threat from the east, specifically Russia.
The exercise serves as a test of operational plans in a pre-war scenario, with a focus on defending both Sweden and the alliance, as well as reinforcing strategically important areas. The public is urged to allow extra travel time and not to disrupt military convoys, as the exercise may affect traffic, especially on major roads like E4, E6, and E22. Military vehicles may travel in convoys up to one kilometer long, according to police, and drivers are urged to stay behind military convoys and not attempt to pass.
The Swedish Transport Administration notes that travel times may be longer during the exercise, and the Swedish Armed Forces try to schedule transports during less busy traffic times. The exercise may be noticeable in traffic, especially near military training areas, and military vessels and air operations will increase. Janne Boman, communications chief at the Southern Military Region, advised drivers to keep eyes on the road, keep distance, and not break convoys.
The public is also reminded not to share images of military vehicles on social media, according to Mattias Dejke, security director at the Swedish Transport Administration. Civil-military cooperation is a key aspect of the exercise, with an Initial Movement Planning Conference scheduled for 21-22 October 2025 in Eindhoven to set the Movement and Transportation framework and use LOGFAS tools for planning. The Swedish Transport Administration is participating in planning and operations to support military transport needs and maintain transport infrastructure, as a functioning transport system is part of Sweden's total defence.
Colonel Anders Malm, head of the Southern Military Region, described the exercise as a success factor due to civil-military cooperation. The exercise is a major exercise in Skåne, and the military urges calm, according to the Swedish Armed Forces. Soldiers in the Aurora 26 exercise are reportedly enjoying themselves due to pleasant encounters, according to a media report.