Sweden has entered into a collaboration with the state of New York through the State Partnership Program (SPP). Defense Minister Pål Jonson (M) signed the declaration of intent on July 12 in New York, according to the Swedish Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense.

– The agreement with the state of New York further strengthens defense cooperation between Sweden and the USA. It contributes to increased exchange between the Swedish Armed Forces and the New York National Guard, which enhances defense capability, says Defense Minister Pål Jonson in the Ministry of Defense's press release.

The collaboration, which takes place between the Swedish Armed Forces and the New York National Guard, involves joint activities and exercises to strengthen military capability. The plan includes sharing concepts, ideas, and lessons learned, as well as participating in each other's exercise activities.

To support the collaboration, a liaison officer from the New York National Guard will be stationed at the American embassy in Stockholm, writes the Ministry of Defense.

– Yet another fantastic step in strengthening our defense cooperation and bringing Sweden and the USA closer together. With a rich shared history between Sweden and my home state of New York, this partnership continues to build on our long-standing ties and mutual commitment to security, writes Ambassador Erik Ramanathan on X.

The declaration of intent for cooperation was signed by New York's Deputy Chief for Public Safety, Marcos Soler, Major General Raymond F. Shields, Defense Minister Pål Jonson, and Major General Johan Pekkari.

– The cooperation with the National Guard in New York will strengthen the Swedish Armed Forces' capability development. Exercises and experience exchange, along with the relationships we build, will contribute to increased interoperability for our respective units and capabilities, says Major General Johan Pekkari, head of the Defense Staff's Strategy Unit in the Swedish Armed Forces' article, and continues:

– The National Guard in New York has, among other things, divisional capability and extensive experience in educating, training, and exercising in larger unit volumes, which is an important capability to develop for the Swedish Armed Forces. Other capabilities we look forward to collaborating on include the combat aviation area and information exchange in the air domain.

The initiative for the collaboration was taken by the Swedish government in April 2023, and in June 2024, the US Secretary of Defense decided to offer Sweden cooperation with New York.

– Sweden provides immediate capability to the State Partnership Program. There is much we can learn from each other, writes General Daniel Hokanson, Chief of the US National Guard, on X.

According to the Swedish Armed Forces, the State Partnership Program was established in 1993 and now includes all 54 US states and territories, which have partnerships with over a hundred countries worldwide, including Norway with Minnesota and Finland with Virginia.