The purchase of new boots for the defense led to conscripts suffering from foot problems and several exercises had to be canceled. The Swedish Agency for Total Defence Analysis has looked more closely at what went wrong with the purchase of marching boots in 2023. The exact number of canceled exercises and the specific foot problems experienced by conscripts have not been disclosed.
According to the agency, the conclusion after the failure is that the Swedish Armed Forces and the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration must learn to cooperate better. There has been a lack of competence, and cooperation between the Swedish Armed Forces and the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration has not worked very well, said analyst Jens Lusua. When about one-tenth of the state budget goes to defense, the agency considers it important to look at what has gone well and poorly in previous procurements to learn for the future.
It is our task to study and evaluate so that the money comes to use so that the funds are used in an efficient way, Lusua stated. The precise deficiencies in competence and cooperation that caused the boot purchase failure remain unclear, and corrective actions to prevent future issues have not been specified. The amount of money wasted on the failed boot purchase is unknown.