The main task of the defense is no longer “to defend Sweden”

Published 4 April 2024 at 15.13

Domestic. In connection with NATO membership, the government has decided to give the Armed Forces a new instruction. The main task of the defense is no longer, as before, to “defend Sweden against an armed attack”.

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– Our main task is from April 1 to defend Sweden and allied states against an armed attack based on the collective defense within NATO, says ÖB Micael Bydén on the website of the Armed Forces.

He states that the change is of great importance for Sweden as a nation and for the country's defense.< /p>

– Sweden is now part of a security community, but it is not free and it requires compensation. We must have the ability to act not only for the country's own security, but also for the common security within the defense alliance.

In the new instruction it is stated, among other things, that the Swedish Armed Forces must be able to contribute to asserting the territorial integrity of allied states and that be able to participate in NATO's activities for deterrence and defence.

– The fundamental change is that we go from unilaterally trying to solve military problems that an aggressor can expose us to, to instead taking a partial responsibility in delivering military problems with the aim of deterring the counter-alliance's member countries from attacking, says Micael Bydén.