Week 17 of 2026 was marked by important materiel deliveries, new alliance decisions, and intensified Russian military activity around the Baltic Sea. Below is a comprehensive overview of the week's defence news.

Domains

Air

  • Two Russian strategic bombers of the type Tu-22M3 flew over the Baltic Sea on 20 April, escorted by Russian fighter aircraft. Swedish JAS 39 Gripen intercepted and shadowed the aircraft in an operation coordinated with NATO. Read more
  • Denmark has selected the next-generation air defence system SAMP/T NG, developed by Thales and MBDA, equipped with the Ground Fire 300 radar. Deliveries are planned to begin in 2028, and Denmark becomes the third country, after France and Italy, to join the NG version. Read more

Land

  • The first unit of the Archer 8x8 artillery system has been delivered to the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) for acceptance inspection. The system has been developed in cooperation between BAE Systems Bofors, FMV, and the Swedish Armed Forces under a contract for a total of 48 systems signed in 2023. Read more
  • Colonel Daniel Rydberg from the Norrbotten Brigade will take command of the Swedish contribution to NATO's Forward Land Forces (FLF) in Finland at the beginning of summer. Sweden serves as framework nation with a battalion battle group based in Boden (northern Sweden) and a multinational staff element in Rovaniemi (northern Finland). Read more
  • Denmark's 1st Brigade and elements of the Danish Home Guard (Hjemmeværnet) have commenced the major exercise Brave Lion in western Jutland with approximately 2,500 soldiers. The exercise is shaped by lessons from the war in Ukraine, with a particular focus on drones. Read more

Maritime

  • British and Norwegian forces are conducting the exercise Tamber Shield off Bergen (western Norway) between 17 April and 3 May under the framework of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF). Norway is participating with the frigate KNM Roald Amundsen and Skjold-class corvettes, while the United Kingdom is contributing Wildcat helicopters and four P2000 patrol boats. Read more

Cyber

  • Knowit Solutions Oy, Knowit's Finnish subsidiary, has been approved as a supplier within NATO's procurement framework, the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA), following a multi-year evaluation process. The approval covers digital solutions, data management, and secure systems. Read more

Space

  • The European Defence Agency (EDA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) signed an agreement on 22 April for a joint study focusing on satellite-based Earth observation for defence beyond 2040. The study will identify capability gaps and develop a strategic roadmap to reduce the EU's dependence on external actors. Read more
  • SSC Space and Kuva Space have signed a letter of intent on strategic cooperation within commercial and security-related space services, with a focus on the Nordic region, to strengthen Finnish-Swedish collaboration across space segments, ground segments, and intelligence. Read more

Policy & Strategy

  • The EU Council has formally approved a support loan of 90 billion euros to Ukraine, of which 30 billion covers ongoing state expenditure and 60 billion strengthens defence capacity. Disbursements are expected to begin during the second quarter of 2026. Read more
  • Finland is calling up reservists for refresher exercises to strengthen the country's ability to protect its territorial integrity. The Finnish Defence Forces (Puolustusvoimat) emphasise that no direct military threat exists, but that the exercises are necessary in light of the changed security environment. Read more
  • The Stockholm School of Economics and the Swedish Armed Forces are launching the SSE Nordic Defence MBA, a 16-month Executive MBA programme starting in autumn 2026 and aimed at senior leaders within the Nordic defence sector. Supreme Commander Michael Claesson has welcomed the initiative. Read more

Industry

  • The European Commission is investing 1.07 billion euros in 57 new projects under the European Defence Fund (EDF), focusing on areas including artificial intelligence, cyber defence, and drone technology. The initiative includes significant Nordic participation. Read more
  • Lithuania is purchasing the Saab Giraffe 1X radar system from Swedish company Saab as part of the build-up of an integrated air defence system. Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas states that the decision is based on experience from the war in Ukraine. Read more
  • The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has signed a framework agreement with Swedish company Hestra Gloves for new combat gloves and finger mittens for the Swedish Armed Forces. The first order covers 125,000 units at a value of approximately 69 million SEK, with planned deliveries from early 2027. Read more
  • FMV is preparing a pre-commercial procurement of small unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) with a maximum weight of 500 kilograms under the Civil-Military Innovation Programme (CMIP), with a focus on logistics and reconnaissance in demanding environments. Read more
  • Jaime Rico takes over as head of Knowit Defence from Andreas Nilsson, who continues as CEO of Knowit Dataunit. Rico is tasked with further developing the company's position within Defence Tech across six European countries. Read more

Week 17 of 2026 confirms a continued high level of activity within Nordic and European defence, spanning concrete materiel deliveries and new alliance decisions to increased Russian military presence around the Baltic Sea and significant EU investment in shared defence capability.