http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4469106&c=EUR&s=TOP
Defense News January 25, 2010 Sweden's Military To Detail Reforms By GERARD O'DWYER -Tolgfors said Sweden will develop its national defense in cooperation with NATO and neighbors Finland, Denmark and Norway. "Our defense policy adds a new neighborhood perspective," he said. "The structure and direction of Sweden's Armed Forces will continue to have a clear Baltic profile. We have northern Europe's largest and most qualified Air Force that is twice as large as any of our neighbors, and it has a full operational range." Under the program, all operating units except the Home Guard are to be available for deployment at home or abroad in five to seven days in situations of "heightened alert." HELSINKI: With parliamentary approval in hand, Sweden's military will spend 2010 deciding how to give flesh to the government's reform vision, Defense Minister Sten Tolgfors said Jan. 17. Put into force Jan. 1, the Targeting Decisions on Strengthening Defense Capability (TDSDC) program seeks to strengthen Swedish defense capability; streamline the budgetary systems that fund the military; increase units' ability to respond to missions; and improve the performance and cost-efficiency of materials procurement, logistics, strategic and operational management. "It is the biggest renewal of security and defense policy for decades in Sweden," Tolgfors told delegates at the Folk och Försvars (Nation and Defense) seminar in Salen, Sweden. "We will use 2010 to make the requisite decisions to carry out the modernization of our military, and civilian crisis, management capabilities." The reforms stem from the Functional Defense Bill submitted last March by the Ministry of Defense to the Swedish parliament. .... Tolgfors said Sweden will develop its national defense in cooperation with NATO and neighbors Finland, Denmark and Norway. "Our defense policy adds a new neighborhood perspective," he said. "The structure and direction of Sweden's Armed Forces will continue to have a clear Baltic profile. We have northern Europe's largest and most qualified Air Force that is twice as large as any of our neighbors, and it has a full operational range." Under the program, all operating units except the Home Guard are to be available for deployment at home or abroad in five to seven days in situations of "heightened alert." Today, one-third of the Armed Forces' organization is "equipped and prepared" for rapid deployment inside one year. The switch will be aided by the government's decision to move to an all-volunteer, gender-neutral force in battalion-led structures by 2014. Under the new system, all operating units will have the same capability for operations in Sweden, in the region and beyond. Seven battle groups will be built of modular maneuver battalions, including artillery, air defense and engineering units supported by the Navy and Air Force. The modular design means the battle groups are equipped to conduct independent operations or become part of a larger unit, which may also be multinational. Service Changes The Air Force will be reorganized to improve availability and capability in low- and high-intensity conflicts, alone or with other countries. Money will be spent to keep the JAS Gripen 39C/D fleet at or above 100 planes. The Army's tank companies are to be organized outside these maneuver battalions, but will stand ready to reinforce regular pre-designated maneuver battalions and other operating units. Armored assets, including Tank 122 and the Combat Vehicle 90 units, that are not required for front-line operations will be transferred to reserve units. The military will soon replace its core mechanized and light-mechanized forces, including airborne battalions, with modular mechanized, light-mechanized and light-maneuver battalions. The Navy's Amphibious Battalion will be turned into a maneuver battalion with amphibious capabilities. =========================== Stop NATO http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato Blog site: http://rickrozoff.wordpress.com/ To subscribe, send an e-mail to: rwroz...@yahoo.com or stopnato-subscr...@yahoogroups.com Daily digest option available. ==============================
