Sweden announced its largest military rearmament initiative since the Cold War era, with plans to raise defense spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2030, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson revealed on March 26.
The ambitious plan includes a loan-financed investment package of approximately 300 billion SEK (€27 billion), reflecting Sweden's response to what Kristersson described as "an entirely new security environment" in Europe.
The comprehensive rearmament strategy encompasses several key elements:
- New defense equipment worth SEK 25 billion (€2.31 billion) for delivery between 2026-2028, including air defense systems, drones, rocket artillery, protective gear, and ammunition
- Enhanced defense against hybrid threats with an additional SEK 96 million (€8.86 million) allocated for 2025
- Increased military support for Ukraine, raising the budget to SEK 40 billion (€3.69 billion) in 2025
- Development of two new mechanized brigades specialized in subarctic warfare, scheduled to be operational by 2028
The brigades will be strategically positioned in Boden and Skövde, strengthening Sweden's northern defense capabilities. The announcement came just before Kristersson's scheduled trip to Paris for multilateral discussions on the situation in Ukraine.
The historic rearmament deal, reached through an agreement with the Sweden Democrats party, represents a major shift in Swedish defense policy and demonstrates the country's commitment to strengthening its military capabilities in response to evolving security challenges in Europe.