Friday, February 15, 2013

Can Sweden Defend Itself?

Swedish soldiers in Afghanistan

Military Experts Doubt Sweden’s Ability To Defend Itself - Defense News/AFP

STOCKHOLM — Military experts said Sweden was probably unable to defend itself on its own in the event of an invasion, in a report published Thursday, saying the armed forces lacked necessary resources.

“Can We Defend Ourselves For a Week?” the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences asked in the title of its report.

Sweden is not a member of NATO and has a policy of military non-alliance, though it does participate in the Alliance’s Partnership for Peace program.

The report echoed comments made by Sweden’s chief of the armed forces, Sverker Goeranson, in the media in early January, when he said the Scandinavian country would be able to hold off an attack for only “about a week” following repeated cuts to the defense budget. Goeranson has been on sick leave for exhaustion since making his remarks.

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My Comment: Approximately 14,000 active personnel and 10,000 reserve coupled with a budget of about $6 billion USD (info is from Wikipedia) .... realistically .... Sweden dos not have a military. But at least they are making some changes. On a positive note .... who is going to invade Sweden?

Update: It seems that some in the Swedish military have too much time on their hands (pun intended).

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