Sweden to Send Battalion with Air Defense Combat Vehicles to Latvia

The Armed Forces of Sweden continue to actively prepare for the next deployment in Latvia – currently, military personnel are undergoing training and joint exercises at the "Revingehed" training ground. This unit, maintaining a battalion structure with limited maneuverability, will be reinforced with new assets – air defense units equipped with combat air defense vehicles.

The goal of the air defense units is to enhance the battalion's ability to timely detect and neutralize aerial targets, including drones and helicopters, at the tactical level. This is an important step in strengthening the collective defense capabilities of Sweden and NATO in the Baltic region, the Ministry of Defense notes.

In October, the crews of the air defense combat vehicles underwent intensive combat training at the "Revingehed" training ground in cooperation with the "Helikopter 15" units from the Swedish helicopter fleet. A civilian helicopter also participated in the exercises, providing a realistic and diverse training environment.

The air defense combat vehicle is largely similar to the infantry fighting vehicle "Stridsfordon 90," but is equipped with a radar surveillance and reconnaissance system, and has a greater elevation angle for the weapon, allowing it to effectively engage low-flying aerial targets.

As emphasized by the Ministry of Defense, the deployment of this battalion of the Swedish army in Latvia will strengthen NATO's collective security and provide the alliance with additional defensive capabilities on the strategically important eastern flank.

It was previously reported that the allied brigade stationed in Latvia unites military personnel from Canada, Albania, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.

Swedish troops arrived in Latvia in January of this year.