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Sweden - International Missions

In the aftermath of the Second World War, Sweden became a member of the United Nations (UN). In 1949, Sweden joined the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and in 1959 joined the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). While Sweden was active in these and other similar economic organizations, the country was reluctant to enter into any kind of alliance or organizations with military implications; for instance, when Norway and Denmark joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949, Sweden did not follow suit. In the early 1970s when other EFTA nations joined the European Community (EC), Sweden remained independent, electing instead to simply be party to a free trade agreement.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, opportunities for European integration abounded. Sweden in turn became more willing to get involved in supranational organizations. Sweden joined the European Union (EU) in 1995, although the country's long-standing policy of non-participation in military alliances remained unchanged (with the exception of the EU Nordic Battle Group). Despite this policy of military non-alignment, Sweden has been active in various military operations sanctioned by the UN. Sweden is an active member in the Partnership for Peace (PFP), an international organization for cooperation in military and security concerns, with a focus on peace-support operations. Through its membership in PFP, Sweden has participated in NATO actions in Kosovo and Afghanistan, and cooperates with military forces of other countries in a number of relief and peacekeeping missions.

Sweden has recently become a participant in the EU Nordic Battle Group (NBG), along with Norway, Finland, and Estonia. Sweden is the Framework Nation, and as such will coordinate the joint forces ofthe battle group. The end goal of the NBG is a joint military force that can be deployment-ready in 10days, largely for peacekeeping activities. Sweden is the largest contributor in troops and equipment. Development of the NBG is still ongoing, with the goal of completion and readiness by 2008.

The emphasis on international missions and deployability remains paramount to the Swedish Armed Forces. This international commitment principally comes in two forms - the International Force and the Nordic Battle Group. The International Force is the collective term for a roughly 1,000-strong contingent, whose members participate in a host of peace-support operations under mainly UN, EU or NATO auspices. Ddeployments of the International Force include a Swedish Navy corvette off the coast of Lebanon as part of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), a 400-strong contingent in Kosovo as part of the Kosovo Force (KFOR), and the 250-strong contingent forming part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.

The Nordic Battle Group is part of the cadre of EU peace-enforcing, rapid-reaction forces ready for missions within a 6,000 km-radius of Brussels, and was on standby during January 1 - June 30, 2008. The Nordic Battle Group has gradually grown in size and now features about 2,500 personnel, of which Sweden is contributing 2,100, Finland 200, Norway 150, Estonia 50, and Ireland 50. Sweden is the Framework Nation, i.e. principal coordinator, for the Nordic Battle Group. The preparation for the Nordic Battle Group has been the principal focus in the reorganization and the equipping of the Swedish Armed Forces in recent years.

In order to meet the deployablity requirement of the Nordic Battle Group, strategic airlift is an essential asset. Sweden was looking at possibly procuring two C-17 aircraft, but the new Government decided instead for Sweden to become a member of the NATO Strategic Airlift Consortium (SAC), planning to buy 600 C-17 flight hours in 2008.

Another issue that is on its way to being resolved is Sweden's access to the Link 16 data network used by NATO. As a non-NATO member, Sweden does not have full access to the network, which hampers the ability of the Swedish military to conduct operations in conjunction with NATO forces. Sweden has access with regard to the exchange of logistics support, supplies, and services in peace support operations. In October of 2004, the Communications and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement was signed, which formed a basis for granting Sweden full access to Link 16. Access to the network will greatly improve Sweden's interoperability with the armed forces of other countries, and aid the defense trade as defense companies will be able to harmonize new and existing systems with NATO standards.