THE RENEWAL OF SWEDEN’S DEFENCE: PHASE 2 Unofficial shortened version of the Government Defence Bill 1996/97:4 passed by Parliament on 20 November and 13 December 1996 1 The new Defence Resolution - The renewal of Sweden’s defence continues The Defence Resolution for 1997-2001 has been drawn up in a new way. It is divided into two phases, with Bills being presented in autumn 1995 and autumn 1996. The first phase, passed by Parliament on 6 December 1995, set out Government principles for security policy, defence policy, total defence objectives, and overall issues concerning the shape, structure and economic scope of the defence system. Key issues were a unified view of military and civilian defence (“total defence”), the new demand for adaptability in both the short and long term in response to changes in the security situation, a new, broader definition of security to include severe peacetime emergencies, and increased focus on participation in international peace support and humanitarian operations. The guidelines for total defence drawn up by the Government can be summarized in four key terms: adaptability, a unified view, a demo- cratic defence, and international commitments. The Defence Bill’s second phase has been based on these guidelines and on the 1996 security policy review, the Defence Commission’s In- ternational Change and Swedish Security Policy, and the plans drawn up by various authorities including the Armed Forces and the Swedish Agency for Civil Emergency Planning. In addition, a large number of municipalities and professional and other organizations have contribu- ted useful opinions. The second phase of the Defence Resolution has, like phase one, been worked out in close cooperation with the Centre Party. The Social Democrats and the Centre are in agreement on all aspects of the Reso- lution. The two parties are jointly responsible for the shaping of Sweden’s total defence for 1997-2001, thereby guaranteeing broad parliamentary support across party political borders. The economic framework set by Parliament in 1995 means a mode- rate saving of SEK 4 billion (4,000,000,000) kronor in annual defence expenditure compared with the 1994/95 financial year. This ten per cent saving, which is to be achieved by 2001, is justi- fied by the enormous changes there have been in the security situation since the end of the cold war, and by the not unreasonable demand that defence costs should be subject to the same stringent scrutiny as other social expenditure. 5 These savings mean, among other things, reductions in the mili- tary war organization and peacetime organization. The war organiza- tion will consist of 13 army brigades, 24 (eventually 20) surface attack vessels, nine submarines, and 13 fighter aircraft squadrons, which will eventually be reduced to 12 JAS 39 Gripen squadrons. The Government proposal for the peacetime organization repre- sents a balanced overall solution. In formulating the proposal for the structure of the peacetime organization, two guiding principles have been the avoidance of uncertain investments and concentration on gar- risons that can easily be expanded. In 1995 the Parliament decided that security policy reviews of the international situation should be carried out in 1996 and 1998. The Government now proposes additional reviews. The conclusions of the 1996 review were that armed attacks that could pose a threat to Sweden are unlikely; that uncertainty about inter- national developments increases the demand for adaptability; and that no reasons exist for changing the direction of the defence policy. From this the Government concludes that sufficient resources have been as- signed to the total defence, but that further savings cannot be proposed in view of the uncertainty about future developments. The democratic popular defence is strengthened The Defence Resolution is a well-balanced whole, and in important respects ground-breaking. The total defence system is organized in such a way as to meet the needs of today and of an unpredictable future. It will provide a modern and adequate defence against the threats of the future, not of the past. The total defence system shall deter attacks by foreign forces on our country, and shall repel them if they should still be made. At the same time, the combined defence resources shall contribute to the pre- vention of severe emergencies in peacetime, and to overcoming them if they should still occur. The defence forces should also be able to parti- cipate in our international peace operations. The new Defence Resolution makes the total defence system even more clearly an important social institution even in peacetime. Its de- mocratic nature is strengthened. The ability of the total defence system to adapt to changing threats is of fundamental importance for the security and safety of our land and 6 people in an unpredictable future. Plans have already been drawn up for raising war capability within a year. Adaptation to a more serious situation in the longer term demands good analysis capacity, effective decision-making, planning and growth capability, and the continuous upgrading of equipment. In order to safe- guard this the Government regards the following as essential: • a review of the intelligence service • advanced research work • regular security policy reviews • an adequate national capability to supply defence materials • the retention of certain materials to be held in reserve • an army brigade, a patrol boat division and an aircraft squadron over and above what was set out in Parliament’s1995 policy statement • more officers than are necessary for the war organization. The Government also proposes greater investment in defence technolo- gy. The Government maintains that it is of the greatest importance for both the upgrading of defence materials now and in the supply of mate- rials in the future that Sweden and the Swedish defence industry are part of an expanding international cooperation on defence matériel. The civilian defence’s strength, effectiveness and ability to adapt are highly dependent on social stability and flexibility in peacetime. Therefore special emphasis will be given to improving robustness in the most important infrastructure areas. The fundamental importance the Government attaches to a broader definition of security and a unified view of defence is set out in more detail in the Bill on Planning for Severe Peacetime Emergencies (1996/ 97:11), which the Government presented to Parliament at the same time as the Defence Bill. The two Bills complement each other. The democratic approach to defence is strongly connected in the minds of the Swedish people to the obligation to do national service, these days some form of total defence service, which in turn contributes to maintaining a strong will to defend ourselves. Almost all men eligible for total defence service, where suitable, receive military or civilian defence training. This has averted the risk of a weakening of the conscription-based defence. The home guard and the voluntary defence organizations are an expression of the depth and breadth of the democratic will to defend. The expansion and revitalization of the home guard and the upgrading 7 of its equipment are important Government objectives. Peace support and humanitarian operations are among the most important tasks for the defence forces and constitute an important part of our security policy and our work for peace and solidarity. To strengthen the defence forces’ ability to carry out this task, the Armed Forces will establish an international command which will in- clude a rapid reaction force. The Swedish Rescue Services Agency is given responsibility for disaster relief and the protection and saving of life, property and the environment, and for preparing civil relief forces for international missions. Training for peace support and humanitari- an operations are coordinated where appropriate. Since the need for multifunctional peace support and humanitarian operations will almost certainly increase, the unified view of military and civilian defence will increasingly also come to permeate the inter- national operations of the total defence system. Sweden’s active participation in the Partnership for Peace (PFP) increases our opportunities to cooperate with other states in peace sup- port and humanitarian operations. The PFP is also increasingly impor- tant for security in the area around the Baltic Sea. A strengthening of all areas of security in the Baltic Sea region through European and interna- tional cooperation is in Sweden’s national security interest. Russia’s participation in the cooperation is important. Sweden will increase its support to the Baltic states and their defence forces. Security policy and the end of the cold war Sweden’s security policy situation has changed dramatically since the end of the cold war. Old threats to our national security have disappea- red or been reduced. New opportunities for Sweden’s security policy have emerged. At the same time new risks and dangers to our land and people have arisen. Sweden’s non-participation in military alliances with the aim of making it possible for our country to be neutral in the event of a war in our vicinity remains unchanged. Through our non-participation and by maintaining an adequate defence system, Sweden will continue to contri- bute to the security and stability in the area around the Baltic Sea and in Northern Europe. It is not possible today to draw definite conclusions about future developments. This uncertainty will remain for some time. Even though 8 the risk of war between two superpower blocks has now disappeared, a number of regional conflicts which can threaten our security have flared up. Other factors also influence long-term security, such as environ- mental damage and water and food shortages. In Nordkalotten (the Arc- tic region of Scandinavia and the Kola Peninsula) there is what is pro- bably the world’s largest collection of nuclear weapons and nuclear waste, which could pose a threat to the environment both regionally and globally.