Sweden anti-drone defence is set for a major upgrade after the government announced new contracts worth 8.7 billion Swedish kronor (€794.7 million) to strengthen protection against hostile drones and other low-altitude threats. The package, presented on 2 April by Defence Minister Pål Jonson together with Army Chief Jonny Lindfors, is part of a broader 15 billion kronor (€1.37 billion) territorial air-defence push unveiled earlier this year.
GUTE II brings together guns, radar and electronic warfare
The new procurement is grouped under the system name GUTE II, a modular anti-drone and short-range air-defence concept developed through cooperation between the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, the Swedish Armed Forces and domestic industry. The system is designed to counter hostile drones and helicopters, and can be deployed both on vehicles and in fixed positions.
According to the Swedish government and FMV, the package includes BAE Systems Bofors’ Tridon Mk2 40 mm air-defence gun, Saab’s Trackfire remote weapon station with 30 mm cannons, command-and-control systems, sensors including Saab’s Giraffe 1X radar, and electronic warfare components. It also covers ammunition and support vehicles from companies including Nammo and SISU.
The mobility of the system is a key part of the concept. Swedish authorities say the equipment should be able to protect military units in the field, but also critical infrastructure such as nuclear power plants, railway hubs, ports and cities.
Why Sweden is accelerating anti-drone procurement now
The investment reflects a broader reassessment of air defence in Europe after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the growing role of drones in modern warfare. Stockholm has repeatedly cited lessons from Ukraine in recent defence decisions, arguing that low-cost airborne systems can threaten both military formations and civilian infrastructure.
Pål Jonson said it is “more important than ever” to invest in air-defence capabilities, while Jonny Lindfors described the package as an important addition to Sweden’s ability to protect both armed forces assets and society more broadly. Reuters reported that the systems are intended to expand protection beyond military bases to parts of the civilian sphere, including transport networks and energy infrastructure.
The move also fits into Sweden’s wider defence build-up after joining NATO in 2024. The government says defence spending will reach 2.8 percent of GDP in 2026, with an ambition to rise to 3.5 percent by 2030.
Deliveries from 2027 as Sweden expands territorial air defence
The contracts presented on Thursday are due to be delivered on a rolling basis between 2027 and 2028. They form part of the Swedish government’s previously announced 15 billion kronor territorial air-defence package, which is tied to specific geographic areas and aimed at improving resilience across the country.
Swedish officials say the government has announced more than 50 billion kronor (€4.57 billion) in air-defence investments over the past year. That makes this one of the country’s largest air-defence build-ups since the Second World War.
The Swedish Armed Forces are also planning to train up to 50 air-defence companies for territorial protection in the coming years, signalling that the investment is not only about equipment, but also about building a larger and more distributed defensive structure.
A Nordic signal about Europe’s changing threat environment
Sweden’s anti-drone investment is part of a wider Nordic and European shift toward protecting infrastructure, logistics and civilian areas from new forms of aerial threat. Across the region, governments are reassessing how to defend airspace against relatively cheap systems that can still disrupt airports, energy sites, transport corridors and military supply lines.
For Sweden, the package is also politically significant. It shows how the government wants to combine rapid procurement, domestic defence industry cooperation and NATO integration in response to a threat environment shaped by the war in Ukraine. That approach is likely to remain central as Stockholm continues to expand both military readiness and territorial defence in the years ahead.
