Sweden is weighing the purchase of long-range cruise and ballistic missiles as Moscow’s military threat is expected to grow over the next five years, the Swedish Armed Forces warned in a government memo, reported by SVT.
The proposed missiles could reach targets up to 2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles) away, giving Sweden the ability to strike deep inside Russian territory.
Chief of Defense Staff Carl-Johan Edström said they would be used only if Russia attacked NATO and Article 5 on collective defense was invoked.
The strikes would target Russian command centers, surveillance systems, and critical infrastructure to slow any further offensive.
The report suggests dedicating a portion of Sweden’s defense budget – around 1.5% of GDP – to modernizing military facilities, ensuring the country can serve as a strategic rear base for NATO.
Edström described the plan as strengthening Sweden’s “total defense,” a comprehensive system that integrates national and alliance defense goals.
Sweden has emerged as one of Ukraine’s most reliable European allies, providing significant military and financial support since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
The country has supplied artillery, armored vehicles, Combat Boat 90s, anti-tank weapons, trucks, and communications equipment, while also helping Ukraine develop long-range systems and air defense capabilities.
On Oct. 22, Kyiv and Stockholm signed a letter of intent for Sweden’s Saab AB to sell 100-150 of the latest-generation Series E Gripen fighters to Ukraine over the next 10-15 years.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson hailed the planned deal as a “long-term” one, saying initial deliveries could start in roughly three years.
Shortly after the two countries signed an agreement, reports emerged that Swedish arms maker Saab was considering opening a final assembly plant in Ukraine for its Gripen fighters.
The Financial Times (FT), citing Saab CEO Micael Johansson, said the plant was eyeing production expansion in Brazil, and possibly in Canada and elsewhere in Europe – plus Ukraine – to cope with the high number of jets planned.
“It is not so easy during a war, but it would be great to set up a capacity for at least final assembly and tests and maybe part production in Ukraine,” Johansson told the FT.
Johansson said the planned deal marked a huge jump from current production numbers.