NATO, which is drawing up new defense plans, considers Finland the front line, Sweden the concentration area and Norway the rear country, sources tell Dagens Nyheter.
Sweden is still waiting in the lobby of NATO to become a full member of the alliance. Before that, NATO could not fully include Sweden in its defense plans. However, obligations have already been planned for Sweden in NATO’s force structure, Dagens Nyheter newspaper reported on Friday.
According to sources in Dagens Nyheter, NATO will propose to Sweden the deployment of a ground forces brigade of about 5,000 soldiers for joint defense tasks of the alliance. The brigade would be equipped with battle tanks and vehicles as well as artillery and maintenance spares.
The presentation is demanding, as there are only three ground force brigades in Sweden, with bases in Skovde, Boden and Rivinge. According to Dagens Nyheter, the Boden Brigade will likely be earmarked for NATO missions.
Tony Lawrence, an expert at the Estonian ICDF research institute, told the newspaper that the brigade could be deployed to northern Finland, the Baltic countries or the south of Europe in times of crisis and war.
According to Dagens Nyheter, NATO considers Finland a frontline country in its defense plan. Norway’s task was to receive reinforcements transported across the Atlantic in times of crisis and war. In Sweden there is a concentration of combat troops and power.
NATO also imposes obligations on Finland, which gained full membership in early April. However, they have not been made public. According to estimates, Finland is also expected to assign a brigade for joint defense operations of NATO.
