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MILITARY

Sweden submits order for more Patriot missiles from the US

Sweden's Defence Material Administration has ordered another set of Patriot surface-to-air missiles from the US.

Sweden submits order for more Patriot missiles from the US
A patriot missile system on display at a military exhibition in Nyhamnen in Malmö. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

Sweden previously requested the Patriot system, known in Sweden as Air Defence System 103, in November 2017, and reached a procurement agreement with the US government in 2018.

This month, the last of four deliveries of Patriot batteries was completed, marking the end of the first part of the Patriot deal.

Now, with this final delivery completed, Sweden has placed another order.

“Patriot has been developed to be able to target helicopters, airplanes, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles, pretty much all air targets,” Christer Mellgren,  project manager for Air Defense System 103, told SVT. “I cannot go into the number of missiles that we ordered, but it is within the limit approved by the American Congress.”

According to the Defence Material Administration, the first part of the deal cost 9-10 billion kronor, and the Swedish Armed Forces have allocated some 3.2 billion dollars for the deal in total.

According to SVT, the missiles themselves are the most expensive part of the Patriot system. While Sweden has been granted permission by the US government to purchase up to 300 missiles, it is unknown how many have been ordered. 

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MILITARY

Sweden to invest hundreds of millions in new bomb shelters and civil defence

Sweden is investing 385 million kronor in strengthening its bomb shelters, emergency services and civil defence, after several high-profile figures urged the country to prepare for war.

Sweden to invest hundreds of millions in new bomb shelters and civil defence

Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin said Sweden, which joined Nato last month, would use the funds to strengthen the ability of rescue services to function during a conflict, bolster cyber security and help the healthcare system build up medicine stocks.

Money would also be dedicated to restoring bomb shelters, drinking water supplies and transport infrastructure.

“Security has been deteriorating for a long time,” Bohlin told reporters.

He made waves in January when he told a defence conference “there could be war in Sweden“.

Shortly after, the commander of Sweden’s armed forces, Micael Bydén, said Swedes needed to “mentally prepare for war”.

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Sweden drastically slashed its defence spending after the end of the Cold War but reversed course following Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.

In March 2022, after Russia’s full invasion of Ukraine, Stockholm announced it would increase spending again, aiming to dedicate two percent of GDP to defence “as soon as possible”.

Late last year, the government said military spending would exceed the two-percent goal in 2024.

The country’s 2024 civil defence budget amounts to 6.5 billion kronor, according to news agency TT.

However, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency said in October it believed a yearly budget of 20 billion kronor was required in order to address needs.

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