Week 2, 2026 was marked by major defence appropriations, Nordic cooperation and intense security policy activity. Below is a comprehensive review of the week's most important defence news.

Domains

Naval

  • Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) orders Trackfire from Saab: The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has ordered the remote weapon station Trackfire (Remote Weapon Station, RWS) from Saab for approximately 1.5 billion SEK. Deliveries are planned for 2026 to 2028 and the order is intended to support the Army and the Amphibious Battalion 2030 project. Trackfire is fully stabilised and equipped with two weapon systems. Read more

Air

  • Swedish government invests approximately 15 billion SEK in territorial air defence: The government has decided that the Swedish Armed Forces (Försvarsmakten) shall establish a territorial air defence capability to protect combat units, cities and critical infrastructure. The investment amounts to approximately 15 billion SEK, is intended to consist primarily of short-range company-sized systems, and a first order is planned for 2026. Read more

Space

  • ICEYE confirms satellite deployment following SpaceX Twilight launch: SpaceX deployed two ICEYE satellites from a Falcon 9 rocket during the Twilight rideshare mission on 11 January 2026. One of the satellites belongs to the Finnish Defence Forces (Puolustusvoimat). The deployment was managed via Exolaunch. Read more

Policy & Strategy

  • Folk och Försvar National Conference in Sälen: Sweden's king and crown princess attended the Folk och Försvar (Society and Defence) National Conference in Sälen (central Sweden). This year's theme was Resolve and Delivery and the conference brought together around 400 participants and more than 60 speakers. This marks 80 years since the first conference was held. Read more
  • Joint statement on Greenland from seven European leaders: On 6 January 2026, seven European leaders published a joint statement on Arctic security and NATO's role in the region. The statement affirms that decisions concerning Greenland are for its people and Denmark to make, and that security in the Arctic shall be achieved in cooperation with NATO allies, including the United States. Read more
  • NATO Secretary General travels to Paris for meeting on Ukraine: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte travelled on 6 January to Paris to attend a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing on Ukraine, co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Read more
  • Several countries join the EU's restrictive measures linked to Ukraine: The EU Council adopted on 15 December 2025 Decision (CFSP) 2025/25941 on restrictive measures against actions threatening Ukraine's sovereignty. Countries including Norway and Ukraine have aligned with the decision. EU High Representative Kaja Kallas states that five individuals and four entities have been added to the sanctions list. Read more
  • Finland raises age limit for reservists to 65 years: From 1 January 2026, conscripts in Finland remain in the reserve until the end of the year in which they turn 65. The legislative amendment, approved by President Alexander Stubb, extends the service obligation by up to 15 years for enlisted personnel. For officers holding the rank of colonel or commander or above, no upper age limit is introduced. Read more

Industry

  • QinetiQ receives £67 million contract for laser weapons for the Royal Navy: QinetiQ has been awarded a contract worth 67 million pounds sterling to contribute to the delivery of the United Kingdom's first directed energy laser weapon to the Royal Navy from 2027, as part of the DragonFire project. The contract follows trials conducted at the MOD Hebrides range. Read more
  • BAE Systems receives Nordic order for 40 mm and 57 mm 3P ammunition: BAE Systems has signed contracts with a combined value of approximately 171 million USD for ammunition of the types Bofors 40 mm and 57 mm 3P (Pre-fragmented, Programmable, Proximity-fused). The order is a joint procurement from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) in Sweden and the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command (FDF LOG COM) in Finland. Read more
  • Two Finnish companies accepted into NATO's DIANA programme: Aboa Space Research Oy and SEATOM Technologies have been selected for NATO's Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) challenge programme. Out of more than 3,600 applications, 150 companies were accepted. Aboa Space Research Oy was accepted within human resilience and biotechnology and SEATOM Technologies within operations in extreme environments. Read more
  • EDA publishes new edition of European Defence Matters: The European Defence Agency (EDA) has published a new edition of the journal European Defence Matters. The edition covers topics including loitering munitions and underwater drones, as well as their impact on the European defence landscape. Read more

Week 2, 2026 illustrates a broad spectrum of defence activity, from major national appropriations and Nordic industrial cooperation to intense security policy diplomacy surrounding Ukraine and the Arctic.