Denmark and Sweden have just signed a comprehensive defense agreement, marking a new era in the military cooperation between the two Nordic countries. The agreement was formalized through a declaration of intent signed by the respective defense ministers, Troels Lund Poulsen from Denmark and Pål Jonson from Sweden. This new agreement comes in the wake of Sweden’s recent entry into NATO and is a sign of the ever closer ties between the two countries.
“With this declaration, we cement the already strong and close cooperation between our countries. It is our common goal to strengthen security and defense capabilities in the entire region,” stated Troels Lund Poulsen. The cooperation includes several key areas such as air patrolling, support for Ukraine, security in the Baltics, maritime cooperation in the Øresund and Baltic Sea, as well as joint procurement of military equipment.
One of the more concrete projects in the agreement is cooperation on the armored combat vehicle CV90, which both countries already use and is produced in Sweden. “It is essential that we explore the possibilities for further cooperation on the procurement of CV90 for the establishment of a heavy brigade,” explained Troels Lund Poulsen. This brigade will consist of 6000 soldiers, as part of the recently agreed Danish defense settlement.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen visited the weapons factory in Örnsköldsvik earlier this year, where she announced a Danish investment of 1.8 billion Danish kroner for the production of more CV90 infantry fighting vehicles for Ukraine. “We are also in the process of upgrading the Danish CV90s, which is led by the Swedish company,” she added on social media.
The Swedish defense minister, Pål Jonson, also emphasized the importance of the expanded cooperation, especially in air patrolling and maritime cooperation in the Øresund region. “As good neighbors, we have unique opportunities to strengthen our cooperation, which will benefit the security of the entire region,” he said. The agreement between Denmark and Sweden signals a continued strengthening of Nordic defense relations in a time when geopolitical tensions and security challenges are in focus throughout the region.