HELSINKI-A sharp increase in Sweden’s defense budget allocation makes it possible for the military to proceed with the implementation of all core parts of the government’s “Total Defense 2021-2025” plan.

The plan, which envisages an increase in annual defense spending of $ 3.17 billion to $ 10.45 billion by 2025, is also supported by a parallel strategy to deepen the country’s pan-Nordic defense cooperation in partnership with Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Sweden spent (at current figures) about $ 5.43 billion on its military in 2016; $ 5.53 billion 2017; $ 5.73 billion 2018; $ 5.84 billion 2019; and $ 6.45 billion by 2020.

The total defense concept was activated when Sweden’s Riksdag, the Riksdag, approved the bill in December 2020, which gives the annual defense budget up to 10.45 billion dollars in 2025.

The bill set key goals for achieving improved military capacity through force organization, reinforcement of the workforce and procurement of large ticket items as modern weapons that would add a more deterrent firepower to the military’s arsenal.

The Total Defense Plan also contains goals to mobilize a rapid, resolute and sustainable national defense response should Sweden’s territories be threatened or attacked. The concept is intended to deter any rapid and aggressive armed attack on Sweden.

The plan acknowledges that in the event of an attack by a “superpower”, the military’s land, air and naval forces will be consolidated to launch intense defensive and offensive campaigns against enemy forces to both “buy time” and protect the country’s independence until military aid come from regional and international partners.

At the same time, Sweden’s closer defense partnership with the Nordic neighboring states was strengthened on 15 September when the country signed a joint declaration on defense co-operation with Iceland. The joint declaration called for cooperation to counter new threats, such as those in cyberspace, and joint action to combat hybrid threats.

The co-operation pact with Iceland is an integral part of the solidarity-based security policy that Sweden will use to build defense partnerships with its neighbors, said the Swedish Minister of Defense Peter Hultqvist during a virtual signing of the Sweden-Iceland declaration. “The joint declaration underlines the common intention of both countries to strengthen our defense cooperation on issues of mutual interest so that we can better respond to the developing security environment,” said Hultqvist.

Defense co-operation between Sweden and its closest neighbors is largely governed by the structure of Nordic defense co-operation, which functions as a co-operation platform for joint military and regional security-based initiatives.