The agreements are being presented by Minister of Defense Pål Jonson (M) in Karlskoga on Thursday and are the result of the Gute collaboration project between FMV, the Swedish Armed Forces and the Swedish defense industry. Together, they have developed a concept for how Sweden can defend itself against drone warfare.
Air defense is a major priority during the ongoing rearmament of the defense, says Pål Jonson.
The wars, especially in Ukraine but also in connection with Iran, show the importance of strong air defense that can meet threats from both drones and helicopters but also from robots and missiles.
Anti-aircraft gun
The base of the capability will consist of the BAE Systems Bofors Tridon MK2 anti-aircraft gun, mounted on a truck with a 40-millimeter caliber, and the Saab Trackfire remote-controlled weapon station with 30-millimeter cannons. Trackfire can be mounted both stationary and on vehicles.
Air defense systems are particularly effective against drones and helicopters. Their mobility makes it possible to quickly transport air defense over long distances.
The systems can be used to protect military units but also infrastructure such as nuclear power plants, railway junctions and cities.
It will be an important addition to the Swedish defense and Sweden's air defenses, and Sweden's population will also benefit from us making this investment, says Pål Jonson.
The concept has been developed in close dialogue with Ukraine, which after more than four years of defensive war against Russia is considered one of the most experienced in the world in combating drones. It would also work well in Ukraine, according to Jonson.
The strength of the system is that it is modular and adaptable to meet different types of threats.
Deliveries will take place continuously from 2027 through 2028.
50 companies
The money was announced previously. In January, the government announced an investment of 15 billion for territorial air defense, and today's agreement is part of that.
In the past year, the government has announced air defense investments of over 50 billion kronor - the largest buildup since World War II, according to Pål Jonson.
The Armed Forces aim to train up to 50 air defense companies for territorial defense in the coming years.
This is a start. It's not enough for 50 companies, but we will get a good distance along the way, says Army Chief Jonny Lindfors.
FMV has signed an agreement worth 8.7 billion SEK to strengthen Sweden's anti-drone capabilities.
The agreements also include command and control systems, sensor systems such as Saab's Giraffe 1x radar, and telecommunications systems.
In addition, there are agreements for ammunition and around 70 trucks and 24 off-road vehicles that have been signed with Norwegian Nammo and Finnish Sisu.
