[…] Rear Admiral Johan Norlén added that the navy’s four planned air-defence frigates illustrate the service’s new strategic and operational emphasis.
Previously as a non-aligned country, Sweden focused on sea denial in the Baltic region, underpinned by capacity to conduct a short-duration but high-end, high-tempo war at sea to deny an adversary use of the Baltic while buying time to mobilise Sweden’s ground forces, Rear Adm Norlén explained.
However, a ‘sea change’ occurred on 7 March 2024, with Sweden’s formal accession to NATO – a national decision that followed Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Today, the RSwN is a central element of NATO’s naval force structure in the Baltic and wider North Atlantic region. Thus, Rear Adm Norlén continued, its operational focus now falls on generating sea control across the Baltic region including as a platform from which to project sustainment of forces and operations. Läs artikel