Sweden plans to contribute to NATO's forward presence in Latvia

The Swedish Armed Forces plan to contribute army units to NATO's forward presence in Latvia no earlier than 2025, with the first rotation consisting of professional soldiers and officers, mainly from the Skåne Regiment's 71st Battalion, which is equipped with the AMV (pictured). (Swedish Armed Forces/Tim Gustavsson)

The Swedish Armed Forces announced on their website on 9 January that they plan to contribute army units to NATO's forward presence in Latvia. The announcement came a day after Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told the annual Folk och Försvars security and defence conference in Sälen that his “government intends to contribute a reduced battalion to the Canadian-led forces in Latvia”.

The Swedish Armed Forces said that Sweden and Denmark would take turns leading a battalion as part of a brigade based outside Riga. Danish and Swedish troops will replace each other every six months, with a Swedish mechanised battalion starting to rotate in 2025 at the earliest.

The South Skåne Regiment has been designated as the first Swedish unit to be deployed in Latvia after Sweden joins NATO, with 600 troops led by a Danish divisional staff. Asked by Janes what division would provide the staff, a Swedish Army spokesperson noted on 12 January that NATO's Multinational Division North is headquartered in Denmark. In addition to Karup, the division has forward elements in Ādaži.

The Swedish unit will consist of professional soldiers and officers, mainly from the South Skåne Regiment's 71st Battalion, whose equipment includes the 8×8 Armoured Modular Vehicle (AMV) and the Patria 6×6 armoured personnel carrier, according to Janes World Armies.