Sweden boosts defense budget amid NATO evacuation drills

In Sweden, military exercises are underway, with commanders of 16 North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries and civilian personnel participating. These exercises aim to improve procedures for evacuating wounded soldiers from Finland and the Baltic states. The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare conveyed this information, highlighting that it is the first such extensive simulation since Sweden joined NATO early this March.

As part of the training scenario, fictional patients will be transported to Swedish hospitals for necessary medical care before being evacuated back to their home countries or war zones. The entire operation will utilize international resources stationed in Sweden.

Tahy Alexandersson, who oversees preparedness within the National Board of Health and Welfare, reminded that Sweden has experience organizing transport and healthcare for numerous patients dating back to the Cold War period, including the use of specially adapted hospital trains.

“Now we are learning from Ukraine on how to utilize buses,” indicated the expert, referring to new approaches in medical logistics.

Alexandersson also pointed out the challenges associated with differences between civilian and military healthcare systems, which include not only differing nomenclature but also medical documentation. In Sweden, healthcare is managed by individual regions, which are obliged to cooperate in extraordinary situations.

The Swedish government announced a significant increase in the budget for civil defense. The report states that the budget will increase to 6.5 billion SEK (about 630 million USD) in 2024, 8.5 billion SEK (over 820 million USD) in 2025, and 10 billion SEK (over 960 million USD) in 2026, reaching 15 billion SEK (over 1.4 billion USD) by 2028. The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) assesses that these amounts will be sufficient to build a system enabling the country to survive in the early phase of a potential conflict or crisis.