Sweden has joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

Sweden’s entry into NATO means an increase in the Alliance’s military strength and greater security, also for Poland.

As of 7 March 2024, the Pact already has 32 members, with Sweden becoming the latest. And although the name of this Alliance has the North Atlantic in it, the addition of Sweden, and before that Finland, has an impact on another body of water much closer to Poland – the Baltic. For now almost all the countries bordering this sea are members of NATO.

The Swedish army will strengthen the Alliance

It was therefore no coincidence that it was geography that Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson alluded to when he spoke at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on 11 March. – We are joining NATO as a guarantor of security from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea – said the Prime Minister.

However, Sweden’s entry into the Pact is not just about control over the Baltic Sea. In his speech, the Swedish prime minister declared that his country brings unique capabilities. – Our armed forces are modern and well-trained – on the ground, in the air and at sea. They will strengthen NATO’s strength. We will now integrate better. We will learn and we will teach others – Ulf Kristersson said.

Sweden’s military strength is primarily its modern air force and navy. According to an analysis by the Center for Eastern Studies, Sweden’s air force has 94 JAS-39 C/D Gripen fighters, in addition to two Saab 340 Erieye early warning aircraft and five C-130H Hercules transport aircraft and one KC-130H tanker aircraft. The Swedish Navy has, among other things, seven corvettes, and its submarine fleet in the Baltic is second only to Germany in numbers.

According to OSW, in the event of a possible conflict with Russia in the Baltic, the island of Gotland is crucial. And this one belongs to Sweden, so it could be a base for NATO forces. But the Baltic itself is not the only issue at stake. The Swedish army can now join the air defence of the territories of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. In addition, Swedish ground troops will also support NATO’s operations on the eastern flank as part of the so-called advanced defence. Indeed, Sweden has announced the deployment of a battalion as part of a NATO multinational battle group in Latvia in 2025.

Two years of efforts

Stockholm’s policy tradition since the early 19th century has been neutrality. But in 1994 Sweden decided to join the Partnership for Peace, and since then its armed forces have participated in joint exercises together with NATO troops. However, Sweden postponed its decision to join the Pact for many more years. It announced that it would make a possible decision on membership together with Finland, which, due to its location, has a direct impact on its security and with which it shares close cultural and historical ties.

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