Swedish Gripen fighters are now part of NATO

NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, gained its 32nd member on March 7 when Sweden was formally accepted into the military alliance.

The handover of the documents took place in Washington, US, two years after the Swedish government requested to join the alliance amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Sweden’s entry into NATO means an important reinforcement of the alliance’s military arsenal, which now has more than 90 Saab Gripen C/D fighters from the country’s air force.

The Swedish manufacturer is also about to begin deliveries of new 4.5 generation Gripen E/F fighters, which are more modern and capable. The Swedish Air Force has an order for 70 aircraft from Saab.

Although it does not have a large fleet, Sweden also has airborne early warning and Elint (Elletronic Intelligence) aircraft, as well as half a dozen C-130 Hercules turboprops.

Transport aircraft, however, are about to have a replacement chosen. The favorite is the C-390 Millennium jet, from Embraer, an airlifter that already flies with Portugal and was also selected by the Netherlands, Hungary and the Czech Republic, members of NATO.

Sweden also has an armed forces helicopter wing, equipped with 20 AW109s, 18 NH90s and 15 UH-60Ms.

The entry into NATO, which occurred some time after Finland, should motivate the Swedish government to increase defense spending in the near future, given the global strategic scenario.