Swedish military wants to double in size
The Swedish Armed Forces says in a study presented on Friday, they need far more capacity to be flexible enough to meet a range of possible threats to Sweden.
In their study of how to meet potential threats that could exist from now until the year 2035, they want to begin expanding now, even though there remains a lot of uncertainty about exactly how the world will look then.
Rear-Admiral Jonas Haggren says that over time, they will need to raise today’s staff of 50,000 to 120,000 plus make other increases, such as adding two more submarines, doubling the Air Force and more than tripling the number of ships in the Navy.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Surveillance and search and rescue top Canada’s Arctic defence priorities, Radio Canada International
Finland: Finland wants to bolster military by at least 64 fighter jets, Yle News
Norway: Norway beefs up border patrol with powerful new snowmobiles, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Tougher measures against extremism and terrorism needed on Norway and Finland borders, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Government split over military threat faced by Sweden, Radio Sweden
United States: Trump signs defense bill to allow more missile interceptors in Alaska, Alaska Public Media
