Week 41 was marked by major investment decisions, new alliances and intensified exercise activity across the Nordic region and the Arctic. Here is a comprehensive overview of the week's most important defence news.

Domains

Air

  • Sweden buys C-390 Millennium: Sweden has signed a contract for four military transport aircraft of the C-390 Millennium model from Brazilian manufacturer Embraer, valued at approximately eight billion SEK. The aircraft will replace Sweden's Hercules transport planes, with the first delivery expected in 2027. The procurement is being conducted jointly with the Netherlands and Austria, with an option for a further seven units. Read more
  • Extended support agreement for Gripen: The Swedish Armed Forces (Försvarsmakten) and Saab have extended their support agreement for the Gripen fighter aircraft, valued at approximately four billion SEK. The agreement covers the period 2026 to 2027 and applies to both the Gripen C/D and E variants, with options for orders through to 2029. It includes technical system support, spare parts, repairs and training. Read more
  • Sweden makes major investment in drone defence and Gripen capability: The Swedish government is investing over five billion SEK in enhanced Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) capability and increased availability of the Gripen system. More than 3.5 billion SEK is allocated to counter-drone capability, with final deliveries brought forward from 2036 to 2028. Read more
  • Norwegian Army invests in drone swarms: The Norwegian Army is launching a drone programme valued at 1.5 billion NOK for the development and testing of surveillance and attack drones as well as swarm technology. The Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI, Forsvarets forskningsinstitutt) has developed the software for the first system. The programme was presented by Army Chief Lars S. Lervik at the Army Summit in Oslo (Norway). Read more
  • NATO opens CAOC Bodø: NATO and Norway have inaugurated the Combined Air Operations Centre Bodø (CAOC Bodø), a new command centre for air operations in the Arctic and northern Europe. Major General Tron Strand assumed command as the centre's first commanding officer. Read more

Naval

  • Naval exercise autumn 2025 in the Stockholm Archipelago: Swedish naval units are conducting joint underwater and surface warfare operations in the Stockholm Archipelago (eastern Sweden) and adjacent sea areas during the period 8 to 15 October. The exercise includes anti-submarine warfare, air defence and electronic warfare, with participation from Finland and the United Kingdom. The exercise is commanded by Commander Fabian Tamm. Read more
  • Denmark establishes naval quay in Nuuk: The Danish Ministry of Defence, the Greenlandic self-government Naalakkersuisut and the port company Sikuki Nuuk Harbour A/S have agreed to construct a naval quay in Nuuk (Greenland), approximately 150 metres in length. The quay is a concrete initiative under Delaftale 2 (Sub-agreement 2) on the Arctic and the North Atlantic. Read more

Policy & Strategy

  • Denmark invests 27.4 billion in the Arctic and North Atlantic: Danish defence is being reinforced with 27.4 billion Danish kroner directed at the Arctic and the North Atlantic. The initiative, carried out in cooperation with Greenland and the Faroe Islands, includes new vessels, airborne surveillance capability, drones, radar stations and a new command structure in Nuuk. Read more
  • Finland and Iceland sign defence agreement: Finland and Iceland have concluded a bilateral memorandum of understanding on deepened defence cooperation, signed by Finnish Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen and Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir. The agreement covers military mobility, air surveillance, defence technology, research and information sharing. Read more
  • Mental training to become mandatory in Danish conscription: From 2026, Militær Mentaltræning (MMT, Military Mental Training) will form a mandatory part of Danish conscript training. The programme is based on practical techniques for stress management and has demonstrated a reduction in dropout rates among conscripts during trials. Read more
  • Women more hesitant about foreign veterans in recruitment: A study from the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI, Totalförsvarets forskningsinstitut) shows that women and individuals working in educational professions are less likely to invite military veterans with overseas service to job interviews, particularly those with a combat infantry background. Veterans with a staff background, however, have a somewhat higher likelihood of progressing in the recruitment process. Read more

Industry

  • Norway and Ukraine launch Brave-Norway: Ukraine and Norway are launching the joint innovation programme Brave-Norway with an initial budget of 20 million euros. The programme targets companies and research communities in both countries, with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and unmanned systems. All technologies are to be tested in Ukraine. Read more
  • Ukraine receives 150 THeMIS from Milrem: Milrem Robotics is to deliver over 150 Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) of the THeMIS model to Ukraine as part of a Dutch donation initiative. Final assembly will take place at VDL Defentec in Born, the Netherlands. Milrem is responsible for training Ukrainian operators. Read more
  • Denmark and Ukraine sign industrial cooperation agreement: At the international defence conference DFNC3 in Kyiv, a memorandum of understanding was signed under which Ukrainian defence companies will establish manufacturing operations in Denmark. The Danish delegation was led by Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen. Read more
  • Micropol launches OptiScan: Micropol presented its new portable measurement tool OptiScan for optical fibre links at the defence exhibition DSEI in London. The tool can test up to twelve fibre channels within seconds and is designed for demanding field conditions. Read more

Week 41 confirms the Nordic and European trend towards accelerated defence investment, deepened alliance cooperation and increased focus on unmanned systems, spanning drone swarms and UGVs to counter-drone capability and new military transport aircraft capacity.