Sweden will invest 8.1 billion crowns (854 million euros) more in its armed forces over the next three years, against a backdrop of growing tension with Russia in the Baltic Sea, the Swedish government, led by the centre-left minority, said Wednesday. The annual increase of 2.7 billion crowns in military spending follows an agreement between the ruling Social Democratic coalition and the Green Party with the centre-right opposition parties.
“We are seeing an increase in military and intelligence activity in our region,”Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist said at a press conference. “This (extra money)… sends an important message to the world around us and is good for Sweden.
More money for the army
Sweden’s military forces said they needed the money to strengthen after years of low investment and increased demands for operational capacity. The armed forces asked for an extra expenditure of SEK 9 billion over the period 2017-2020. Sweden has reintroduced recruitment and redeployed troops to Gotland, a strategically key Baltic island, in order to strengthen its defence.
The country has also been moving closer to NATO, although the government has ruled out becoming a member of the alliance. The Swedes will hold a general election next year, in which it is likely that neither center-left nor center-right blocks will get the majority.
Bigger budget for U.S.A. too
In-depth research on the subject found that the military is motivated by health, energy efficiency and finance in its interest in technology. As the world’s largest oil consumer, the U. S. Department of Defense is expected to double the deployment of military micro-grids to maintain its operations, with annual micro-network deployment spending reaching $1.4 billion in 2026, according to a new Navigant Research dive.
The new U. S. Secretary of Defense, James Matthis, recently declared that high death rates from fossil fuel transportation to combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan are one of the reasons why he wants to double the deployment of the micro-network.