Archive · 12 Jan 2026
Sweden to invest $440 million in unmanned drones
Sweden is going to spend a lot of money on drones and satellites to help its military.
The drones will be used for different things like attacking, spying, and cleaning mines from the sea.
The government also plans to borrow more money to buy other military equipment like air defense systems and submarines.
This is because Sweden thinks future wars will use a lot of machines that don't need people inside them.
They joined a group called NATO recently and have been spending more on their military since a nearby country called Russia started a war.
Sweden will spend 4 billion crowns ($437 million) on unmanned drone systems over the next two years.
The investment includes long-range attack drones, electronic warfare systems, surveillance drones, and marine surveillance and minesweeping drones.
Additionally, Sweden will invest 1.3 billion crowns in new military satellites.
The government is borrowing 300 billion crowns to accelerate the acquisition of new military equipment, including air defense systems, submarines, and surface ships.
This increase in military spending comes in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Sweden's recent NATO membership in March 2024.
- Who
- Sweden
- What
- Investment in unmanned drone systems and military satellites
- When
- Over the next two years
- Where
- Sweden
- Why
- To enhance military capabilities in response to evolving warfare trends and security threats
- Amount
- 4 billion Swedish crowns ($437 million)
- Timeframe
- Next two years
- Types of drones
- Long-range attack, electronic warfare, surveillance, marine surveillance, minesweeping
- Additional investment
- 1.3 billion crowns in military satellites
- Total borrowing
- 300 billion crowns for military equipment
- Exchange rate
- 1 USD = 9.1525 Swedish crowns
- NATO membership
- March 2024
- Trigger for increase
- Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022