Thu, 06 Mar 2025

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 'We're no longer a country that cannot be trusted'

Sweden and Finland's defence sectors are benefiting from their countries joining Nato.
Nato's newest members' spending commitments are ahead of those expressed by several existing members. Examples of new Nato initiatives include the establishment of new bases, joint defence forces in northern Finland, and a joined-up command structure for 250 front-line combat aircraft. Substantial investments will be required to replenish stockpiles of advanced weapons systems. Saab's CEO, Micael Johansson, says being part of Nato makes it easier to gain insights into the alliance and negotiate contracts with the NSPA. He welcomes "fierce competition" between commercial defence companies, saying that Europe needs to do more on its own and support its own defence industry. A guidebook published by Finnish government agency Business Finland advises companies on how to do business with Nato, predicting significant new needs for services and equipment from both hi-tech and low-tech. The book highlights the importance of start-ups and small to medium-sized companies in meeting these needs. In addition to increased spending, Nato's Nordic expansion has led to a shift towards "Total Defence", which considers national infrastructure such as internet and energy systems as part of a total defence system. This concept is applied by Norway and Denmark as well, and may not be registered as defence spending in the statistics but is still a significant undertaking.
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