Posts Tagged ‘defence’
Dual-use infrastructure Sweden and Finland are considering a bridge over the Gulf of Bothnia
As far as building 100km bridges go, spanning the Kvarken, a narrowing of the northern Gulf of Bothnia, would be an easy task. Thanks to relatively shallow water, a generally firm seabed and an archipelago on the Finnish side, the challenge would lie less in getting the thing built than it would with coming up with the billions euros it would cost. (Estimates range from €5bn to €100bn.)
For that reason, when the idea has come up in the past, it has been easy for lawmakers in Sweden and in Finland to dismiss it as a costly white elephant that would have little benefit compared with the existing ferry service.
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These days, though, the calculus that drives the cost-benefit analyses of such projects has a new variable: security. Where the idea of a better-connected region has long been framed in economic terms, a bridge across the Kvarken is increasingly being discussed as a way for Finns to remain connected to Europe in the event Russian shenanigans render the Finnish-Swedish land border unusable.
For now, a Kvarken bridge remains well over the horizon: a report published last year by Finland’s transport ministry reckons that the earliest one could be open for traffic would be the early 2040s. Still, proponents are bullish: the same report found a bridge was technically feasible and laid the foundation for an assessment of its economic benefits. A journey of a hundred kilometres begins with a single report.
FURTHER READING
} Fixed link across the Kvarken discussed in the Swedish Parliament (Kvarkenrådet)
} The €30-billion bid to link Finland to the wider EU (The Parliament)
} Finland wants to build a bridge across the Baltic Sea to Sweden for better connections to Europe (Euronews)
} Huge bridge between Sweden and Finland back on the drawing board (Ingeniøren)
} Kvarken Fixed Connection Feasibility Study (Väylävirasto)
Read MoreSaab receives order for counter-unmanned aerial system from Sweden
Saab has received an order from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) for a mobile and modular counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS). The system is designed to protect the Swedish Armed Forces as well as civil infrastructure from threats posed by drones. The order value is approximately SEK 2.6 billion and deliveries will take place 2027-2028.
In partnership with the Swedish Armed Forces and FMV, Saab is developing and deploying an advanced C-UAS system that offers proven, adaptable and cost-efficient layered defence against modern drone threats. The system will strengthen and complement Sweden’s current air defence and drone defence posture.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 2 Apr
Read MoreBAE Systems awarded $180m contract for Tridon Mk2 from Sweden
The TRIDON Mk2 is a truck-mounted 40 mm anti-aircraft gun system that addresses a gap in today’s air defense. The system has multi-target capability and can engage a wide range of aerial threats, including drones, cruise missiles and aircraft. Additionally, it can target ground threats such as armored vehicles, providing protection and security for both military forces and civil infrastructure.
“We are more committed than ever to providing our customers with protection from ever-evolving aerial threats,” said Lena Gillström, president of BAE Systems Bofors. “The TRIDON Mk2 has been designed for today’s warfare, and we will continue to deliver cutting-edge solutions to put our customers in the best position to meet future challenges.”
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 2 Apr
Read MoreSuccessful first demo flight: Airbus’ uncrewed Bird of Prey interceptor autonomously engages kamikaze drone with Frankenburg missile
The Airbus ‘Bird of Prey’ interceptor drone successfully completed its first demonstration flight at a military training area in northern Germany. In a realistic mission scenario, it autonomously searched, detected and classified a medium-sized one-way attack (kamikaze) drone. After successful identification, the Bird of Prey interceptor engaged the target with a Mark I air-to-air missile developed by defence tech start-up partner Frankenburg Technologies.
“Against the current geopolitical and military backdrop, defending against kamikaze drones is a tactical priority that urgently needs to be tackled,” said Mike Schoellhorn, CEO Airbus Defence and Space. “With our Bird of Prey and Frankenburg’s affordable Mark I missiles, we are providing armed forces with an effective, cost-efficient interceptor, filling a crucial capability gap in today’s asymmetric conflict theatres. The integration of Bird of Prey into Airbus’ air defence battle management suite IBMS acts as a force multiplier.”
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 30 Mar
Read MoreDefence sector pre-accelerator invites companies to develop solutions to strengthen Estonia’s defence capabilities
The defence sector pre-accelerator Defence Business Lab is beginning its second year of operation and is inviting companies and teams to apply with technological solutions that support Estonia’s defence capabilities. The programme helps take defence technologies from idea and prototype stage through to testing and international growth opportunities.
The pre-accelerator is aimed at companies developing technologies applicable in the defence sector that need support in understanding the specific characteristics of the defence market, developing and positioning their solution, and preparing for the next stages of growth, including applying to international programmes.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 27 Mar
Read MoreLockheed Martin to build HIMARS sustainment centre in Estonia
Great news for our international partners. Estonia will increase the Film Estonia cash rebate from 30% to 40%, strengthening the country’s competitiveness in the international film production market. “It’s official. Minister Heidy Purga has confirmed the final step of a long process: Film Estonia moves forward with a 40% cash rebate for film and TV production.
Regulations still need to be updated — and then, let’s roll!” stated Edith Sepp, head of the Estonian Film Institute.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 23 Mar
Read MoreAnother new innovative and military technology company in the Port of Riga
Ship design and construction company “Latitude Construction”, working under the Latitude Yachts brand in the Port of Riga, will establish a new company “Latitude Naval Technologies” with the aim to develop modern offshore platforms for security and defense operations.
Thus, another company will join the innovative and military technology production facilities of the Port of Riga, developing a new direction in the Latvian shipbuilding industry, combining extensive experience in shipbuilding with the growing demand for modern maritime safety technologies. In the current conditions, such a production facility will not only contribute to the economic growth of Latvia but also boost the security of Latvia and its partners.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 18 Mar
Read MoreEstonian Defence Week “How to Win the Next War” to convene 4,000 defence leaders in Tallinn
Estonian Defence Week (EDW) will take place in September 2026, hosted by the Estonian Defence and Aerospace Industry Association (EDIA) together with the Ministry of Defence, the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS) and Tehnopol Science and Business Park.
Building on the strong foundation of last year’s inaugural edition — with international exhibitors including major global players such as Airbus, BlackBerry, and Saab — the 2026 event will take place under the title “How to Win the Next War”, attracting defence companies, investors, policymakers, and military leaders from Estonia and abroad.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 12 Mar
Read MoreArms across the water Sweden is helping Poland spend its defence budget
A delegation of more than 100 representatives from Sweden, led by the country’s king, wrapped up a three-day visit to Poland on Wednesday that was focused on deepening security and economic co-operation between the two countries.
The visit comes as Stockholm and Warsaw are assembling defence forces that Moscow would think twice about tangling with. Both have shown that they can keep low-intensity harassment in the Baltic in check, but the bigger concern is whether they would be able to prevent a Russian land grab, and whether they could do so independent of American help.
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A Polish-Swedish partnership is a match made in military-industrial heaven. Concerned that it does not have the modern kit needed to pose a credible deterrence, Poland is spending half of its defence budget—per capita the largest in Nato—on new equipment. That is more money than it can spend at home, and it has made Poland one of the biggest markets for Swedish arms exporters.
Saab’s sales of big-ticket items account for much of that, but there is plenty of potential for smaller firms to get in on the act, according to Business Sweden, a lobby group. It reckons that there are some 380 companies—many of them small and medium-sized—involved directly in arms production, and that vastly more making the civilian technologies that go into weapons. Modern warfare is good business for ploughshares that can be used as swords.
Hanwha Aerospace to invest €100M in Estonia’s defence industry
Estonia cooperates extensively both within NATO and with a wider block of allies. This week, South Korean defence giant Hanwha Aerospace has announced a direct investment package of nearly €100M in Estonia, with the total economic impact — including joint R&D activities with local companies — projected to reach up to €260M. The investment aims to strengthen Estonia’s technological sovereignty and establish the country as a regional hub for territorial defence systems.
The announcement builds on a deepening bilateral relationship. In late 2024, Estonia signed a €290M contract with Hanwha to procure at least six Chunmoo multiple-launch rocket systems alongside three types of munitions. Hanwha had previously delivered six K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers to the Estonian Defence Forces, making it one of Tallinn’s most significant defence procurement partners. Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur noted that Hanwha is also among the potential bidders for Estonia’s upcoming naval overhaul.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 6 Mar
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