The world order established by the United States, which is under pressure, must be supported and maintained by Sweden. This is a recurring message in the centre-right government’s overall defence bill presented on Tuesday.
For the years 2025-2030, 15 “extra” billion euros are earmarked for military defence – and just under €3.15 billion for civil defence, to meet the expectations of the leadership of the increasingly isolated Western bloc.
The government of the day wants to invest in defence – and invest heavily, it announced on Tuesday when presenting the bill.
“These are historic investments. Defence spending will reach 2.6% of GDP as early as 2028”, it was announced at Tuesday’s press conference.
The background to the bill clearly expresses concern that what it calls the “rules-based world order”, a term commonly used to describe the US-led liberal power structure based on the post-World War II Western bloc, is “under pressure”. The government warns of actors advocating an alternative world order with “multiple centres of power and value bases”.
“The driving forces for a different order are Russia and China. They are promoting a multipolar world order with several different centres of power and value systems, and have the ambition to weaken the global position of the United States and the rest of the Western world”, the government proposal continues.
Flags for US confrontation with China
The government further states that, against this background, the US is more clearly focusing on China as an actor “that has both the intention and the ability to shift the world order in its own favour”. This, it flags, could have major consequences for Sweden as well, pointing out that Sweden and other countries allied with the United States will be expected to participate with resources on the American side in the country’s new conflict areas in Asia.
“The US strategic focus on China is expected to lead to increased expectations of engagement and behaviour from European and Asian allies”.
What it describes as “a continued US shift in emphasis towards the Indo-Pacific region in particular”, together with general domestic political trends, will also mean that the US has fewer resources to invest in Europe, and that the country’s European allies, including Sweden, will therefore have to compensate by making greater military investments.
“Domestic political developments may lead the US to choose a different foreign and security policy direction in the future, for example with regard to support for Ukraine. Generational and demographic changes may also reduce support for transatlantic engagement over time,” the bill explains.
“Regardless of future administrations, we are likely to see a continued US shift in emphasis towards the Indo-Pacific region in particular, which means that European allies will have to take increasing responsibility for European security”, it continues.
War organisation to grow to 135 000
In practical terms, the Swedish Armed Forces will focus on acquiring more weapons of most types – including combat vehicles and tanks, better anti-aircraft and rocket artillery, more drones and the introduction of the Archer systems already ordered.
The Navy will also receive increased funding, with ships to be equipped with anti-aircraft missile systems and coastal missile capabilities to be expanded. New Luleå-class warships are also to be acquired, which will “provide the navy with increased capability and capacity” and contribute to air defence capabilities.
The air force will be strengthened, various types of aircraft and helicopters will be purchased, and Sweden will be integrated into NATO’s air and missile defence (IAMD) “to deter or, if necessary, prevent or mitigate threats from the air domain”.
The government’s proposal also focuses on innovation, technology development and defence research, including “strengthening Sweden’s role in NATO as a credible space actor through participation in various initiatives such as space-based reconnaissance and surveillance, responsive launch and satellite communications in the Arctic”, as well as digitising intelligence organisations and “strengthening the capability for defensive and offensive cyber operations”.
Overall, the armed forces will grow from 88,000 personnel today to 135,000 by 2035, with the number of conscripts gradually increasing to 12,000 per year and four new army brigades being completed over the next six years.
