Sweden has announced it is going to test new “drone swarm” technology amid reports the country has been increasing its level of defence integration with the rest of NATO.
Developed jointly between domestic production company Saab and the country’s defence ministry, the under-wraps project reportedly allows an individual soldier to deploy and operate up to 100 drones at a single time.
The drones can apparently be tasked with scouting out enemy units, as well as taking strike action if equipped with the necessary weaponry.
“With these drone swarms it is possible to conduct both reconnaissance, positioning and identification,” Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson said at a press conference on January 13, during which the project was made public.
“We will need to take some risks to build a stronger defence capability faster than we normally do.”
The technology was set to be deployed during the upcoming NATO Artic Strike military exercises later this year.
Having joined the defensive alliance in March 2024 in the face of Russia’s renewed invasion of Ukraine, Sweden has ramped up its defence spending. It said it planned to put 2.6 per cent of its GDP into national security by 2028.
The country has also been also working on better integration with NATO. Stockholm said on January 12 that it would contribute three military vessels to the alliance’s effort to increase its presence in the Baltic Sea.
That came in response to numerous reports of apparent Russian acts of sabotage in the region.
Sweden will also provide four coast guard ships and an ASC 890 surveillance aircraft to help monitor the area.
A further seven coast guard vessels will be put on standby to assist the mission if needed.
According to the Associated Press, 10 Baltic undersea cables have been damaged since 2023, with the damage affecting Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Germany and Lithuania.
‘Rising obesity threatens Sweden’s defence capabilities,’ says Brigadier General
The Swedish Defence Force’s General Physician, Brigadier General Claes Ivgren, has voiced concerns about the declining physical health of Swedes. pic.twitter.com/u7zyZrn82N
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) January 11, 2025
