Sweden must increase the military budget by 64 percent by 2028
Sweden plans to increase its defense and security budget by 64 percent between 2022 and 2028. The increase, proposed in a budget proposal released last month, will see the small country spend about $12 billion a year on defense by 2028.
The proposed increase follows Finland’s and Sweden’s application to join NATO in May. While Turkey withdrew its veto against the two Scandinavian countries joining the military alliance in June, both Turkey and Hungary have yet to sign their membership.
The war in Ukraine has quickly developed into a direct conflict between the United States and its NATO allies on the one hand and Russia on the other. The Swedish ruling elite was able to exploit Putin’s reactionary invasion of Ukraine to overcome long-standing popular hostility to joining the imperialist powers in NATO and significantly expanding its armed forces.
Sweden’s proposed expansion of its military budget comes weeks after a new right-wing coalition government took power. The right-wing coalition government rules with the support of the far-right Sweden Democrats, a party that originated in Sweden’s neo-Nazi movement and has now become the second largest party in the Riksdag.
Days after Sweden announced its massive increase in the defense budget, Sweden signed a military aid package for Ukraine worth $287 million – more than all previous aid.
Pål Jonson, Sweden’s Minister of Defense and member of the right-wing moderates, stated that the aid package contained “air defenses and winter equipment – because that is what the Ukrainians need”. He said his office’s “first priority” was to “[step] increase economic, military, political and humanitarian support to Ukraine, including the transfer of more advanced weapons systems.”
The NATO-affiliated international arms industry has welcomed Sweden’s massive increase in military spending with enthusiasm.
Defense news exclaimed, “Days after Sweden announced its largest-ever military aid package for Ukraine, its top defense officials are positioning the Nordic country’s contribution as an example of what to expect from Stockholm as a NATO member.”
They continued: “Increasing aid from man-portable anti-tank weapons to powerful anti-aircraft systems was just the latest in a series of whiplash-inducing changes for Sweden following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February. After 200 years of non-alignment, Sweden is now a NATO aspirant, prompting a quick rewrite of its defense strategy and – from its new centre-right government – a major defense budget lift.”
Sweden has long played an important role in the global arms industry.
The Nobel family, which gained its wealth primarily by owning Russian oil fields and mines, was also a prolific manufacturer of explosives and ammunition. Alfred Nobel oversaw the invention of dynamite. At the time of his death, his company owned 90 factories producing explosives and ammunition worldwide.
Sweden played a major role in the development of anti-tank weapons during the 20th century. The Carl Gustaf M-series rocket launcher, now manufactured by Saab, is one of the most widely used portable anti-tank weapons.
In his press conference for the military budget, Jonson noted Sweden’s important role in the global arms industry, “There is no other country of 10 million that can produce submarines, surface combatants, advanced artillery systems, combat vehicles and combat aircraft… For being a fairly small country, we have a fairly vibrant defense industrial base.”
Saab, Sweden’s major defense company, recently showed a 13.6 percent increase in quarterly earnings. Its CEO Micael Johansson said at a press conference, “It’s a multi-year growth opportunity that we see in Europe and elsewhere, at least until 2030.”
Sweden has actually been a close partner and participant in NATO for years. Stockholm’s “neutrality” as a staunch ally since World War II is belied by its decades-long cooperation with the US military and intelligence services during the Cold War and the War on Terror. Sweden has been involved in the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.
Sweden has also participated in NATO military exercises for several years before the formal application for membership. It plays a major role in BALTOPS – NATO’s annual Baltic Operation exercise dating back to 1985 – which Sweden hosted this year.
Sweden’s integration into the US-led military alliance and massive increases in military spending have been supported by the entire political establishment. While the latest budget is being implemented by a right-wing government, the previous Social Democratic government launched another major defense budget increase in 2014 and reintroduced conscription in 2017. Social Democratic Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson seized on the US/NATO-initiated Russian invasion of Ukraine to rush through Stockholm’s application to join in NATO. The former Stalinist leftist party supported the sending of military equipment to Ukraine and promoted nationalism and militarism during the debate on Swedish NATO membership.
Sweden’s large increase in military spending comes as the imperialist powers increase their war budgets to unprecedented levels. In the past week alone, the US, Germany and Japan have unveiled massive new military spending proposals, underscoring the advanced preparations for World War III. Sweden could emerge as a front-line state in such a war, because together with Finland it forms a northern front that NATO could open against Russia.
In the Swedish government’s budget proposal, military spending will grow by $800 million in 2023 alone. The money will include a significant amount to increase military personnel. Last fall, Stockholm’s major subway stations were filled with advertisements about joining the Armed Forces. The budget also includes new money for cyber defense, intelligence and new armor.
A few weeks after the new budget was announced, Sweden’s Special Security and Intelligence Police (SAPO) carried out a raid using Black Hawk helicopters loaned by the military in Stockholm. According to the AP: “Authorities provided few details about the case, but Swedish media cited witnesses who described elite police rappelling from two Black Hawk helicopters to arrest a couple who allegedly spied for Russia.”
Two Iranian-born men were arrested earlier in November on charges of spying for the Russian military. One of them was formerly a member of Sweden’s intelligence service SAPO.