Week 12 of 2026 was marked by intense activity in Nordic defence cooperation, new equipment orders, and strategic industrial initiatives. Here is the week's compiled defence news.

Domains

Naval

  • Norway and the United Kingdom are conducting a joint market survey for the acquisition of up to 30 new vessels for littoral operations under the Joint Commando Craft programme. The vessels are planned to be built in Norway under the Lunna House agreement. Read more
  • The Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI, Totalförsvarets forskningsinstitut) is evaluating how autonomous systems, including underwater drones and future combat aircraft, affect military command through tactical wargames conducted with the Naval Warfare Centre (Sjöstridsskolan). The research also supports the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) and the Naval Staff. Read more

Air

  • Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace has signed an agreement with Lockheed Martin for the delivery of components for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, including rudders and landing gear doors for production lots 20 to 22. The expected total value of the contract is NOK 2 billion and extends to 2030. Read more

Land

  • Sweden will form the core of NATO's new forward land force, FLF Finland, commanded from Boden (northern Sweden) with a headquarters element in Rovaniemi (northern Finland). The force is to be established before the NATO Summit in Ankara. The announcement was made in connection with exercise Cold Response 26. Read more
  • Latvia and Patria (Finnish defence and aviation company) have signed an agreement for lifecycle support and maintenance of the Latvian armed forces' CAVS 6x6 armoured all-terrain vehicles, with the aim of ensuring long-term operational availability. Read more

Space

  • The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV, Försvarets materielverk) has signed an agreement with SSC Space to establish satellite launch capability from Esrange Space Center in Kiruna (northern Sweden) at a value of SEK 209 million. The capability is to be in place by 2028. Read more
  • Norway and Canada have signed a memorandum of understanding for deepened space cooperation, focusing on space-based services for surveillance and defence capability in the Arctic. The agreement was signed by the respective defence ministers. Read more

Policy & Strategy

  • Finland, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands are exploring the possibility of establishing a new mechanism for joint defence financing by 2027, with the aim of coordinating demand and accelerating the procurement of ammunition and critical materiel. Read more
  • Iceland and the EU have entered into a new partnership on security and defence, signed by EU High Representative Kaja Kallas and Iceland's Foreign Minister. The cooperation focuses on Ukraine, the Arctic, and cyber issues. Read more
  • In connection with exercise Cold Response 26, Nordic countries and Canada agreed on deepened cooperation in the areas of politics, economics, and security, with a focus on the Arctic, artificial intelligence (AI), and quantum technology, as well as a strengthened NATO presence in the region. Read more

Industry

  • The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has been tasked with investigating the conditions for a Swedish defence industry office in Ukraine. The agency is to report its findings by May 2026 and is simultaneously initiating Nordic cooperation on a Ukrainian defence export office in Copenhagen (Denmark). Read more
  • The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has ordered 35 heavy recovery vehicles from Polish manufacturer Szczesniak, built on a four-axle all-wheel-drive Scania chassis. The order amounts to approximately SEK 420 million and is the second placed under a 2025 framework agreement. Read more
  • The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has signed an agreement with German company Hensoldt for new Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) interrogators valued at approximately SEK 100 million, procured through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). The systems will be delivered during 2026 under project PI-05M and strengthen interoperability within NATO and the EU. Read more
  • Lännen Tractors Oy (Finnish agricultural and defence equipment manufacturer) has received the largest order in the company's history, worth approximately 35 million euros, for the delivery of Lännen 8800M-DF backhoe loaders to a European NATO member state. Deliveries will take place between 2026 and 2028. Read more
  • A Swedish government inquiry (SOU 2026:16) proposes a five-year defence export initiative worth SEK 300 million under the name Team Sweden Defence & Security, with strengthened roles for FMV, SEK (the Swedish Export Credit Corporation), and EKN (the Swedish Export Credits Guarantee Board). The initiative runs from 2026 to 2030. Read more
  • Estonia has launched a new digital platform, Estonia.ee/defence, to bring together the country's DefenceTech ecosystem and increase the international visibility of Estonian defence companies in areas including autonomous systems and cybersecurity. Read more
  • Danish company Risk Intelligence has been awarded a contract under the FLINC project to analyse strategic transport infrastructure and military mobility in the northern Nordic region, covering Finland, Sweden, and Norway, from an east-west perspective until the summer of 2026. Read more
  • Swedish company W5 Solutions is acquiring Finnish company KT-Shelter for an initial sum of 22 million euros. The deal broadens the group's range of rapidly deployable shelters and hangars and is expected to be completed during the second quarter of 2026. Read more

Week 12 of 2026 confirms a clear trend: Nordic countries and NATO allies are intensifying cooperation in materiel procurement, industrial capacity, and strategic infrastructure, against the backdrop of a continued deterioration of the security situation in Europe.