Week 11, 2026 was marked by major Swedish defence investments, Nordic cooperation and intensified activity along NATO's northern flank. Below is a comprehensive overview of the week's most important defence news.

Domains

Air

  • Norwegian F-35s identify Russian aircraft: Norwegian combat aircraft were scrambled on two consecutive days, 10 and 11 March, to identify Russian military aircraft in international airspace off Finnmark (northern Norway). The incidents occurred in parallel with the NATO exercise Cold Response 2026. The Norwegian Armed Forces (Forsvaret) describes the incidents as expected but underlines the importance of maintaining situational awareness of Russian flight patterns. Read more
  • Swedish Defence Materiel Administration procures protection against drone swarms: The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) is seeking technical solutions against drone swarms within the framework of the initiative Military Innovation Challenge for Ukraine. The systems must be production-ready within twelve months. "We are looking for solutions with a relatively high level of maturity," says Johan Gullman-Strand, Head of Research and Development at FMV. Read more

Land

  • Sweden approved for purchase of HIMARS: The US State Department has approved a possible sale of 20 M142 HIMARS rocket artillery systems to Sweden, including ammunition and the ATACMS missile system. The estimated total cost amounts to 930 million USD, with Lockheed Martin as the prime contractor. The purchase aims to strengthen indirect fire capability and increase interoperability within NATO. Read more
  • Swedish investors in new drone investment: Front Ventures AB and Hede Capital Partners AB are leading an investment round of 400,000 USD in drone manufacturer Black Forest Systems. The Ukrainian-Estonian company develops self-stabilising reconnaissance drones designed for infantry units, requiring no specific pilot training. Read more
  • Swedish Defence Research Agency develops new radio channel models: The Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI, Totalförsvarets forskningsinstitut) has, on behalf of the Swedish Armed Forces, investigated how radio channel models can be improved by integrating high-resolution geodata from the Swedish Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authority (Lantmäteriet). The work is expected to yield more accurate calculations of radio wave propagation and optimise the performance of communications systems. Read more

Naval

  • Sweden expands air defence for 50 billion SEK: The government has announced investments of over 50 billion SEK to strengthen Swedish air defence, the most extensive commitment since the Second World War. The expansion includes a new territorial air defence capability as well as equipment purchases for the army and navy. "It is enormously positive that investment is being made in air defence," says Army Chief Jonny Lindfors. Read more

Cyber

  • Swedish Armed Forces and Kista Science City in cyber collaboration: Kista Science City (Stockholm's technology hub) is launching a pilot project with the Swedish Armed Forces' cyber defence to integrate solutions from startups and technology companies. The challenge, called Analysis of system defensibility, aims to automate the mapping of complex IT systems. "Collaborating with civilian innovators is a strategic necessity," says Colonel Thomas Höglund, Head of the Swedish Armed Forces' cyber defence. Read more

Policy & Strategy

  • Supreme Commander Claesson visits Syrskyj: Sweden's Supreme Commander Michael Claesson visited Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyj to discuss Sweden's continued support for Ukraine. Claesson was briefed on the operational situation along the front line. Syrskyj describes the visit as a signal that the partnership with Ukraine remains a strategic priority. Read more
  • Joint Nordic strategy for transport preparedness: On 11 March, a joint Nordic strategy for transport preparedness was presented in Rovaniemi (northern Finland), initiated by Finland's Ministry of Transport and Communications. The strategy aims to establish a robust transport system that functions under all security conditions and supports both civilian and military needs, including cross-border military transport. Read more
  • 30,008 young people called up for conscription assessment: The Swedish Conscription and Assessment Agency (Plikt- och prövningsverket) is calling just over 30,000 young people born in 2008 to conscription assessment, beginning in May 2026. Of these, approximately 10,000 are expected to commence basic training under military or civil conscription during 2027 and 2028. "The primary purpose of basic training is to provide the defence forces with trained personnel," says Director General Peter Göthe. Read more

Industry

  • FMV opens Battle Week for new defence technology: The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) is running the initiative Battle Week, in which companies can test and demonstrate technical solutions for the protection of critical infrastructure in realistic environments. The initiative is carried out in collaboration with the Swedish Armed Forces, the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) and the Swedish Defence University, and may in time lead to future procurement contracts. Read more
  • Defence innovation in focus at Defence Day 2026: Amyna, Ideon Science Park's platform for defence innovation in Lund (southern Sweden), is organising Defence Day 2026 to bring together Nordic stakeholders from armed forces, industry, startups and academia. The goal is to accelerate the pace of innovation and shorten the distance between needs and solutions. Read more

Week 11 illustrates the breadth of Swedish and Nordic defence work, ranging from strategic partnerships and political decisions on multi-billion investments to concrete innovation initiatives and operational activity along NATO's northern flank.