MILAN – Sweden plans to buy anti-aircraft guns for its fast attack boats to counter drones and helicopters, as officials have warned the Baltic Sea could become a flashpoint for Russia.
The Swedish Defense Ministry’s equipment department, called FMV, has launched a call to buy eight anti-aircraft guns under a contract worth more than $176 million.
The weapons will be mounted on the Swedish-made Combat Boat 90, a fast and sharp-turning attack vessel for the country’s amphibious units, according to recently published tender documents. They will operate “in all geographic areas of interest of the Navy,” and will contain 12 years’ worth of munitions intended to damage aircraft.
Anti-aircraft guns could be a cheaper alternative to missile interceptors when it comes to protecting troops from drone attacks, a scenario that has become ubiquitous in Ukraine’s defense against Russian attacks.
While some Russian boats are already armed with this type of air defense, Moscow would also create mobile anti-aircraft gun units, with each truck equipped with Soviet-era anti-aircraft guns.
The Swedish tender comes amid concerns from Micael Bydén, commander of the country’s armed forces, about Russian ambitions in the Baltic Sea region.
Of particular interest, he noted in a recent interview with the German media network RND, is the island of Gotland, located in the middle of the Baltic Sea, about 330 kilometers from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
“I am convinced that Putin even has both eyes on Gotland – his goal is to gain control of the Baltic Sea, and whoever controls Gotland controls the Baltic Sea,” Byden said.
Given its tactical importance to Sweden, which is now a NATO member, and the wider region, the Scandinavian country has stationed permanent troops on the island.
Earlier this month, Russia’s Defense Ministry presented plans to revise maritime boundaries around the country’s islands in the Gulf of Finland and around Kaliningrad, a move that would open territorial disputes with nearby NATO members.
