Posts Tagged ‘defence’
Swedes preparing to receive Bornholm refugees
Amid Swedish fears of Russian expansionism in the Baltic, local authorities in Ystad say they are preparing for a situation in which they receive refugees from Bornholm.
Ystad is a Swedish council, but it is the mainland port for the primary ferry serving the Danish island.
The Swedish military considers Bornholm, along with other Baltic islands, as targets of potential Russian attacks, and that has led Ystad council to include refugees from the island in its civil-defence planning.
Police on Bornholm are responsible for co-ordinating civil defence. In the event of an attack, they say their directions would come from Copenhagen, but Ystad officials have called for co-ordination at the council level with Bornholm.
Source: Ystad Allehanda / TV2/Bornholm
Read MoreMilrem Robotics launches new cutting-edge vehicle and doubles down on cooperation in MENA
Estonia’s Milrem Robotics, world-leading robotics and autonomous systems developer, which previously made history by raising the largest foreign investment round in Estonia’s defence sector, is not slowing down. At IDEX 2025, the company launched its highly anticipated 8×8 Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) and signed an agreement with Pearson Engineering to develop mission-specific uncrewed ground vehicles for the MENA region.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 17 Feb
Read MoreDenmark not ready for long-term defence buildup, business lobby warns
Danish manufacturers are at the ready to facilitate the rapid military buildup to the tune of 50bn kroner (€6.7bn) over the next two years announced by the prime minister on Wednesday. But they warn that any return to a military-industrial complex needed to sustain the military for the long-term will require more than just money.
“We should use this an opportunity to think strategically and truly modernise our society,” Lars Sandahl Sørensen, the managing director of DI, a business lobby, said. “Lawmakers won’t be able to avoid making considerable reforms, improving efficiency and investing in new technology and competitiveness.”
The additional funding comes on top of a 10-year, 190bn kroner plan to revamp the military, bringing it in line with Washington’s increasing demands that Nato members spend more on defence.
Denmark currently spends 2.4% percent of its gross domestic product on defence. That places it above the Nato target of 2%, but in January, Mette Frederiksen, the PM, told Danes to be prepared for cuts to some services, as her government looked towards spending 5% of GDP on defence in the coming years
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The additional funding comes after years of cuts have hollowed out the military’s capabilities. And with Washington’s willingness to come to Europe’s aide in the event of a Russian attack now in doubt, Ms Frederiksen said the military would be allowed to fast-track purchases until it was rearmed, by-passing a lengthy and scandal-ridden tendering process.
Correction: We originally stated that the Nato spending target was 3%. Sorry.
Estonia is to host a defence industry themed event Estonian Defence Week
Estonian Defence and Aerospace Industry Association (EKTL) in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence, is organizing the first-ever Estonian Defence Week in September, bringing together domestic and international defence industry companies, investors, specialists, and policymakers. The week begins with an event organized by the NATO DIANA Estonian accelerator.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 17 Feb
Read MoreFebruary 20, 2025: The Future of Defence Technology: Revolutionising Regional Capabilities
On February 20-21 in Stockholm, Techarena 2025 will gather +12,000 business leaders, founders, investors, and decision-makers to explore and discuss global trends, emerging technologies, the startup ecosystem, and the future of industries. Ticket holders will have access to an insightful panel discussion on the future of DefenceTech. Moderated by Ms Kadri Tammai, Regional Director of NATO DIANA, the panel will feature the Minister of Economy and Industry of Estonia, Mr Erkki Keldo, Head of Strategy and Portfolio at Saab Surveillance, Mr Hampus Delin, and Deputy Chief Sales Officer at Milrem Robotics, Mr Stefan Behre.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 6 Feb
Read MoreEstonia Launches €100M Defence Fund
The Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications has announced the launch of a €100 million Defence Fund, established to support the development of innovative defence and security capabilities to meet the growing global demand for new solutions. Managed by national fund manager SmartCap, the fund will provide direct investments to defence companies and funds investing in military and dual-use technologies.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 21 Jan
Read MoreNow you see us Preparing Gotland for war
The Swedish island is now a remilitarised zone
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