The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) and the Department of National Defence (DND) in the Philippines have signed the Implementing Arrangement concerning the Procurement of Defence Materiel and Equipment. This follows the memorandum of understanding (MoU) that the defence ministers of Sweden and the Philippines signed on 3 June last year, focusing on the procurement of defence materiel, as stated by FMV in a press release.

The previous memorandum of understanding was signed at the Shangri-La security and defence conference in Singapore, the largest of its kind in Asia.

– I am convinced that systems from our Swedish defence materiel producers would be of interest to the Philippines. Swedish solutions in this area combine high performance with low life-cycle costs, high availability, easy maintenance, and good usability. All of this contributes to a country's defence capability and ability to protect its territorial integrity. I look forward with confidence to deepening cooperation with the Philippines, said Defence Minister Pål Jonson (M) at the time, in a press release from the Ministry of Defence.

The signing in Singapore last year was preceded by a ministerial visit to Manila by Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell (M) in May of the same year. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Forssell met with colleagues from the Philippine government and representatives from the Asian Development Bank and also participated in meetings between Swedish companies and Philippine decision-makers from the public and private sectors.

In August, after the Defence Minister signed the memorandum of understanding in Singapore, Ambassador Annika Thunborg met with Philippine Defence Minister Gilberto Teodoro Jr. to discuss how the JAS 39 Gripen would enhance the Philippine Air Force.

In January, Jan Knutsson, Cabinet Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visited Manila to meet with representatives at the Department of Defence.

The so-called Implementing Arrangement now signed enables Swedish defence industry to participate in defence procurements in the Philippines. The agreement also regulates the intergovernmental cooperation related to these procurements.

A comprehensive modernisation programme of the Philippine Armed Forces is currently underway, and there is significant interest in Swedish systems. The systems relevant in the coming years include fighter aircraft, command systems, and AEW (airborne radar), writes FMV.

– We are now taking a concrete and important step forward in cooperation with the Philippines. The door is now open for Swedish defence companies to participate in procurements for the Philippine defence, says Joakim Wallin, Head of Export at FMV, in the agency's press release.

Next week, Defence Minister Pål Jonson will again travel to Singapore to participate in Shangri-La. The following week, he will first visit Australia and then the Philippines to, among other things, meet with Philippine Defence Minister Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and participate in the national day celebrations at the Swedish embassy in Manila.