– The counteroffensive is in an intense phase of the war, and we should be prepared for this to become a prolonged conflict. We must also have a long-term perspective on supporting the platforms and systems we send to Ukraine in a sustainable way, said the defense minister during the press conference.
The defense minister emphasized endurance during the press conference and stated that the government is donating spare parts and contingency supplies valued at up to 1.1 billion SEK. The support package includes trucks, mine-clearing equipment, and ammunition for Combat Vehicle 90, Tank 122, and the Archer artillery system.
Under the section "Additional support regarding air defense," the defense minister announced that the government proposes to resell the Rb 99 (Jaktrobot 99) to the USA. A press release from the Ministry of Defense states that "the parliament also authorizes the government to sell Rb 99 to the USA. The USA will, in turn, donate these missiles to Ukraine and offer Sweden the opportunity to purchase a more modern version of AMRAAM."
In July, the U.S. State Department approved a potential sale of up to 250 missiles to Sweden valued at 605 million USD, which Defense Sector News reported earlier.
The support package also includes compensation to the Armed Forces for expenses such as transport and security protection costs. The total value of the support package is estimated at 3.4 billion SEK, which means that the total value of Sweden's military support now exceeds 20 billion SEK in total, according to the press release.
The government is allocating 545 million SEK in increased appropriations to the Armed Forces for re-procurement and implementation in 2023 and estimates needing to allocate an additional 2.8 billion SEK during 2024 - 2027.
The defense minister also expressed gratitude to the parliamentary parties for a good dialogue regarding the support package. Provided everything goes as planned in the finance committee and parliament, the government will implement the decision on Friday.
In response to a question from TT about whether there is a limit to how much Sweden can give to Ukraine, Lieutenant General Michael Claesson said:
– The support comes with consequences - but they are manageable. I want to emphasize the importance of, over time, focusing on the industrial base in this logistics and supply concept. It's about creating conditions for direct procurement, with or without support from international actors. This is also a prerequisite for this to be sustainable in the long term.
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