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3 days ago | 
breakingdefense.com | Jonas Olsson
STOCKHOLM — Sweden has launched a major procurement to bolster air defense capabilities in the Baltic Sea region. The initiative includes medium- and short-range missile systems, radars, command infrastructure and vehicle platforms. Kicking off the effort, a German authority on Tuesday signed an agreement with the German company Diehl for the procurement of seven medium-range air defense systems (fire units) in the form of IRIS-T SLM (Surface-Launched Medium-range) on behalf of Sweden.
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1 week ago | 
breakingdefense.com | Jonas Olsson
STOCKHOLM — Just days before NATO is set to gather for its high-profile summit at The Hague, Sweden today revealed it would delay its goal of hitting 3.5% GDP defense spending until up to 2032 — the timeline officials said is likely to be agreed upon by all NATO allies next week.
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1 week ago | 
breakingdefense.com | Jonas Olsson
STOCKHOLM — Sweden and Finland’s accession to NATO will enhance the alliance’s missile defense posture through geographical and operational depth, allowing for the deployment of more air defense systems, officials and analysts say. “When it comes to air defense it’s, of course, highly prioritized for Sweden and many other countries within the alliance,” Swedish defense minister Pål Jonson told Breaking Defense.
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1 week ago | 
breakingdefense.com | Jonas Olsson
STOCKHOLM — China has boosted its nuclear arsenal by 100 warheads in just one year, growing from an estimated 500 to over 600 warheads in 2025, according to new data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Beijing now possesses more warheads than the UK and France combined, and is expanding its arsenal faster than any other nation.
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2 months ago | 
breakingdefense.com | Jonas Olsson
STOCKHOLM — Berlin’s military expenditures soared to $88.5 billion in 2024, positioning it as the world’s fourth-largest military spender and the highest in Central and Western Europe for the first time since Germany’s reunification in 1990. Germany is now spending 1.9 percent of the country’s GDP, approaching NATO’s current target of 2 percent.
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2 months ago | 
breakingdefense.com | Jonas Olsson |Aaron Mehta
Stockholm — A letter of intent has been signed between the Republic of Colombia and the Kingdom of Sweden for the purchase of Saab Gripen fighters, according to Colombian President Gustavo Petro. The fleet of aircraft to be acquired is completely new, “with the latest technology, already deployed in Brazil, and is a Saab 39 Gripen brand,” Petro wrote in a translated statement on X.
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2 months ago | 
breakingdefense.com | Jonas Olsson |Aaron Mehta
STOCKHOLM — Sweden today unveiled its 19th, and largest ever, military aid package to date for Ukraine, totaling 16 billion Swedish kronor ($1.6 billion). The Swedish government announced on Monday that the bulk of this package will fund new orders from Swedish and European defense industries, aimed at bolstering Ukraine’s military capabilities amid the ongoing war. Defense Minister Pål Jonson painted a grim picture of the situation in Ukraine.
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Mar 26, 2025 | 
breakingdefense.com | Jonas Olsson |Aaron Mehta
STOCKHOLM — Sweden is planning a jump in defense spending to 3.5 percent of its GDP, in line with what the nation’s prime minister expects will be a new NATO-wide spending target. Ulf Kristersson said a press briefing today that his “qualified guess” is that NATO would set the 3.5 percent target at the alliance’s summit in July. Sweden is already planning to hit that mark “within five years,” he said.
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Jan 30, 2025 | 
breakingdefense.com | Jonas Olsson |Aaron Mehta
STOCKHOLM — Sweden today announced a 13.5 billion SEK ($1.23 billion) military aid package to Ukraine and Moldova, the 18th support package Stockholm has announced for Kyiv’s aid. Among the key components of this package is approximately $90 million for the production of long-range missiles and drones, which aims to bolster Ukraine’s offensive capabilities, according to the announcement by the Swedish government and its coalition party on Thursday.
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Jan 9, 2025 | 
breakingdefense.com | Jonas Olsson |Alyssa Schonhaut
STOCKHOLM — Sweden today announced a $1.97 billion deal for new and upgraded Leopard 2 A8 tanks, as well as upgrades to its fleet of CV90 infantry fighting vehicles. The historic tank deal, which covers 44 new Leopards and upgrades for 66 older Leopard 2 tanks, was brokered by the Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) with the German-French defense contractor KNDS.
