Sweden will spend seven billion kronor ($730 million) to purchase US-manufactured HIMARS rocket artillery systems to strengthen its military capabilities, the Swedish government announced on Monday.
The acquisition is aimed at extending the operational reach of the Swedish Armed Forces, giving them significantly greater long-range capabilities than their existing systems, reports AFP.
Defence Minister Pal Jonson told reporters that the deal includes around 10 launcher-equipped trucks along with a substantial supply of ammunition, according to Swedish news agency TT.
The rocket systems, manufactured by US defence contractor Lockheed Martin, are scheduled to be delivered from 2027.
The Swedish government said the current security environment requires rapidly deployable capabilities to complement traditional systems such as the Swedish-designed Archer artillery.
In a parallel development, Sweden signed a joint declaration with neighbouring Finland to strengthen bilateral cooperation on rocket artillery. Finland currently operates the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), which uses the same components and ammunition as the HIMARS platform.
The procurement is part of Sweden’s wider efforts to rapidly strengthen its national defences following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The conflict prompted both Sweden and Finland to abandon their long-standing policies of military non-alignment and formally join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
