Gerard O'Dwyer

Helsinki's accession to the defense alliance has bolstered growth among startups, namely those with civilian and defense portfolios.

Officials in Helsinki aim to have a list of proposed measures in hand later this year for filling the country’s NATO membership with life.

The Nordic Investment Bank could extend its lending activities to the defense sector because “the world has changed,” said the bank’s chief executive.

A critical feature in the LTDP raises spending and financial benefits across all branches of the Norwegian Defense Forces.

The project is linked to the $9.6 billion jet procurement contract reached between Finland and the American company Lockheed Martin in February 2022.

The expected budget increases Finland’s defense spending to 2.3% of its gross domestic product, lifting it above NATO’s 2% goal for member states.

Nordic defense companies could have a greater share of the world’s quantum computing pie, as Sweden and Finland each aim to advance their capabilities.

The mergers and acquisitions are taking place as Sweden seeks NATO membership, and neighboring Finland this year joined the alliance.

A Nordic cluster within NATO remains the goal, but questions remain about the alignment to North America or Europe when it comes to the High North.

With Sweden and Finland poised to join NATO, plans for a combined air force capability to defend the region’s skies are picking up steam.

The group has emerged as a driving force to deepen cross-border cyber security collaboration between member states.

Stockholm has set out to move the needle on joint procurement arrangements for military equipment within the European Union.

Nordic officials find themselves at the receiving end of Turkish grievances, as Ankara’s approval is needed for the NATO membership of Sweden and Finland.

Countries are exploring closer coordination on weapons buys and transportation channels to the war-torn country.

Stockholm’s plans also include a new ministry and additional spending on cyber defense to better address hybrid threats.

The two countries are expected to announce a decision about joining the alliance in mid-May.

The option of joining the alliance is already included in Finland’s National Defense Strategy Plan, whereas Swedish has no such fast-track mechanism.

The Finnish government has approved an expansion to its defense procurement budget for 2022 that takes into account preliminary costs associated with the $12 billion HX Fighter Program and the acquisition of new multirole aircraft.

The economic impact of the coronavirus crisis, which has forced the government to significantly increase international borrowings and further load national debt, was feared to have a negative bearing of the military’s HX project.

Buskhe was hired in 2010 as a reforming CEO, tasked with tackling Saab’s somewhat bloated operating cost base while re-focusing the group’s R&D and production activities on a narrower range of front-line products.