The total defense proposal for 2025-2030, presented today, suggests that the Swedish Armed Forces' war organization will be expanded from 88,000 positions to 115,000 by 2030. This includes professional military personnel, conscripts, civilian employees, and home guard.
The current goal for 2030, which was approved by the Riksdag in 2020, is 90,000.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the focus of the proposal is on increasing the endurance of combat units, not on purchasing new weapon systems. It's about acquiring equipment, primarily ammunition. This includes, for example, artillery grenades and air-to-air missiles for fighter jets. It's also about ensuring that there are spare parts and workshops for repairs.
Goal postponed
This is in line with what the Riksdag parties agreed on in the Defense Committee last spring. However, according to media reports, a few proposals from the Defense Committee are missing from the proposal. There is no new field unit, called the Norrland Infantry Regiment. The goal of training 12,000 conscripts annually from 2032 has been postponed to 2035.
Prior to the defense proposal, NATO has presented preliminary goals for Sweden's military capabilities. The defense alliance generally wants NATO countries to strengthen their armies and invest more in integrated air defense.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the proposal is well in line with NATO's wishes.
Important parts of the buildup to 2030 were decided by the Riksdag as early as 2020, such as the core of the army consisting of four brigades by 2030. One brigade is already complete. A brigade consists of approximately 5,000 soldiers.
To be replaced
In 2020, it was also decided that the navy would have seven corvettes, but two would be replaced with larger and newer models. All would also be upgraded, primarily with air defense. The four submarines would become five, with two of a newer model.
The air force would consist of six fighter jet divisions, about 96 Gripen planes, just like today. From 2025, old models would start to be replaced with the new E-model.
The cost of the buildup was already included in the budget proposal in September. The military appropriations would increase from 125 billion kronor this year to 186 billion kronor by 2030. The costs of building up the civil defense would increase from 6.5 billion kronor this year to 15 billion kronor from 2028.
