Sweden's 21-month stay in NATO's waiting room came to an end this week with the long-awaited ratification of its May 2022 application for membership by the Hungarian parliament.
Stockholm's entry completes NATO's expansion to 32 members, growth sparked by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and met with repeated threats from President Vladimir Putin and his top officials.
The membership of Sweden and neighboring Finland – which joined in April 2023 – has transformed NATO's security environment in northern Europe and the Arctic, adding an 830-mile border with Russia and drawing a NATO noose around the Baltic Sea, which some say Officials already refer to it as a “NATO lake.”
Through decades of official foreign policy neutrality – albeit with close cooperation with NATO and membership in the European Union – Stockholm and Helsinki have long prepared for Russian aggression. With the move away from non-alignment, NATO now gains two forces that, while relatively insignificant, are specifically designed to frustrate and bleed Russia dry.
Photo illustration by Newsweek/Getty
Finland already spends more than 2 percent of its GDP on the military, and the Swedish Defense Ministry has told Newsweek it will do so until the end of 2024.
NATO expects 18 of its members to reach the threshold by the end of 2024. The US is among the top spenders, spending 3.4 percent of its GDP, with Poland spending more than any other ally at 3.9 percent.
The countries with the lowest spending include Luxembourg (0.72 percent), Spain (1.26 percent) and Belgium (1.26 percent).
Neil Melvin – the director of international security at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank in London – told Newsweek: “Sweden in particular provides NATO with a well-equipped army, over a hundred sophisticated forces.” [jet] Fighters, a modern navy with five submarines and a technologically advanced defense industrial base.
Expanding the alliance's Article 5 collective defense obligation across Scandinavia “is part of the transformation of Northern Europe into a NATO bastion,” Melvin said.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian Foreign Ministry via email seeking comment.
Land Forces
Like Finland, Sweden is bringing a modern military to the alliance table. Its armed forces consist of only around 24,000 active soldiers, supported by 11,400 reserve soldiers and 21,000 home guard soldiers. From 2025, Stockholm also plans to draft 8,000 conscripts into its reserve annually, up from 6,000 currently.
Sweden's infantry units are supported by around 500 armored personnel carriers, including the modern CV-90. Stockholm sent 51 CV-90s to Ukraine in 2023 for use by Ukrainian forces.
Sweden fielded 120 German-made Leopard 2 main battle tanks in early 2023, although Stockholm said at least “a tenth” of them were also donated to Ukraine.
Swedish tanks are pictured during the Aurora 23 military exercise at the Rinkaby firing range outside Kristianstad, Sweden, May 6, 2023. Sweden's land forces are small but modern. Swedish tanks are pictured during the Aurora 23 military exercise at the Rinkaby firing range outside Kristianstad, Sweden, May 6, 2023. Sweden's land forces are small but modern. JOHAN NILSSON/TT/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images
Behind the front, the Swedish armed forces can rely on 26 self-propelled 155 mm arc artillery systems, which are extremely mobile to avoid counter-battery fire. The Archer – eight of which were donated to Ukraine – can line up, fire three targeted shots and leave its firing position within 75 seconds. Its operators can also adjust the firing angle and number of charges so that all three shells land at the same time.
Its longest-range shells – the US-made M982 Excalibur guided missile – can reach targets up to 50 kilometers away.
In the air
Sweden's most significant NATO contribution is arguably its formidable air and naval forces, designed to cover the country's 2,000 miles of coastline, the Baltic Sea and airspace extending into the Arctic region.
Sweden has around 100 Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets, considered one of the most versatile platforms in the Western world. The Gripen was considered for delivery to Ukraine because it was designed for Russia.
The Gripen, RUSI's Justin Bronk wrote in February 2023, “is expressly designed to counter Russian.” [surface-to-air missiles] and fast jets because they fly very low and have internal electronic warfare and are easy to maintain and operate from distributed bases with mobile teams in vehicles.”
A Swedish JAS 39 Gripen takes off from Orland Air Base, central Norway, Aug. 23, 2023, during Arctic Fighter Meet exercises. Sweden has around 100 hunters. A Swedish JAS 39 Gripen takes off from Orland Air Base, central Norway, Aug. 23, 2023, during Arctic Fighter Meet exercises. Sweden has around 100 hunters. JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images
Gripens can also take off and land on damaged runways and highways; Another advantage that may have made the platform attractive to Ukrainians.
Sweden deploys four reconnaissance aircraft: two Gulfstream G-IV aircraft equipped for use in signals intelligence and two Saab 340 AEW&C for airborne early warning and control functions.
Sweden defends from the ground and has four batteries of U.S. Patriot surface-to-air systems with PAC-3 interceptors with a range of about 75 miles. Shorter-range threats can be combated with the IRIS-T SLS, RBS 23 and RBS 70 platforms.
On the sea
Sweden will play a key role in NATO's control of the Baltic Sea, which serves the key Russian ports of St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad.
Sweden's submarines will be particularly important. The country currently has four diesel-electric submarines – three Gotland-class ships and one Södermanland-class diesel-electric submarine. These will be complemented by two new A26 attack submarines – the Blekinge and the Skåne – which are scheduled to be launched in 2027 and 2028.
Swedish submarines are designed to operate in the shallow Baltic Sea, whereas submarines from larger NATO allies operate in deeper waters elsewhere. This will help the alliance keep track of Russian ships and prevent seabed developments such as sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines and interference with vital undersea telecommunications cables.
Other Swedish ships include seven corvettes, eight minesweepers, one large patrol ship and more than a dozen smaller patrol ships. Of these, the Visby-class stealth corvettes are the most powerful and provide significant short-range air defense capabilities.
The Swedish corvette HMS Visby is pictured in Mysingen Bay on October 21, 2014. The Swedish Navy is designed for the shallow waters of the Baltic Sea. The Swedish corvette HMS Visby is pictured in Mysingen Bay on October 21, 2014. The Swedish Navy is designed for the shallow waters of the Baltic Sea. FREDRIK SANDBERG/AFP via Getty Images
Unusual knowledge
Newsweek strives to challenge conventional wisdom and find connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek strives to challenge conventional wisdom and find connections in the search for common ground.