Sweden to invest $435M to enhance drone capabilities

Sweden is pressing ahead with a major expansion of its military drone capabilities, announcing plans to invest 4 billion Swedish kronor ($435 million) in unmanned aerial and underwater systems over the next two years.

Defense Minister Pal Jonson told the annual defense conference in Salen on Monday that "the battlefield of the future will largely be characterized by unmanned systems and long-range combat."

The investment in unmanned systems includes kamikaze drones, reconnaissance drones, unmanned airborne electronic warfare capabilities and unmanned vehicles for different marine applications to "strengthen the Swedish Armed Forces in both breadth and depth."

The minister said Sweden is also buying around 10 military satellites for 1.3 billion kronor to strengthen "our long-range capability" and help "deter threats from the air."

"Unmanned systems and space situation awareness are crucial in modern warfare. By investing in drone capabilities and space systems, we are strengthening the Swedish Armed Forces' operational capabilities, increasing the resilience of our combat units and improving our capability to act together with allies," he said.

Sweden formally joined NATO in 2024, ending more than two centuries of military non-alignment and committing to raise defense spending and strengthen interoperability with allied forces.