Even before joining NATO, Sweden and Finland acquired high military potential Motorized march of the Finnish Land forces, police and Customs on December 6, 2022.
Photo from the Finnish Defense Forces Twitter page During the Cold War, the neutrality of the two Scandinavian countries looked different.
Finland, in fact, was in the Soviet sphere of influence, although it was not going to build socialism. Sweden took a much more pro-Western position, while it managed to become one of only five countries in the world that produced almost all military equipment for themselves. Except that Sweden has not created nuclear weapons, although such attempts have been made.
Accordingly, the Swedish military-industrial complex is much more powerful than the Finnish one. Therefore, Stockholm's export opportunities are much wider than Helsinki's.
DURING THE COLD WARUntil the end of the 1980s, the Finnish Armed Forces received most of the military equipment of all classes from the Soviet Union.
These were T-54/55 tanks, PT-76 floating tanks, and then T-72, BMP-1/2 combat vehicles, BTR-50/60, MTLB. Self-propelled artillery units (ACS) 2S1 and 2S5 (these powerful 152-mm self-propelled guns of the USSR almost did not sell to anyone). Towed guns D-30, M-46, D-20, 2A36 (the latter USSR also practically did not sell to anyone). BM-21 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), S-125 anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMs), Strela-2, Strela-3, Igla-1, Igla portable anti–aircraft missile systems (MANPADS), ZSU-57-2 anti-aircraft self-propelled guns. Il-28 bombers, MiG-21 fighters, Mi-8 multipurpose helicopters, 205 missile boats.
Sweden was the second most important supplier of weapons for Finland. The J-35 Draken fighters, together with the MiG-21, formed the basis of the Finnish Air Force, and the Swedish Saab-91 were the training aircraft in them. Finnish missile boats of their own construction were equipped with Swedish anti-ship missiles (RBS-15).
Finland received a small number of light and training aircraft and helicopters from the United States, Great Britain, France, Italy, and Canada. In Finland itself, armored personnel carriers, towed guns, training aircraft were produced in limited quantities, corvettes, missile boats and minesweepers were built. But they were generally a minor addition to foreign technology – primarily Soviet and Swedish.
At that time, the Finns had practically nothing to export, with the exception of a certain number of auxiliary vessels built at Finnish shipyards for the USSR Navy.
During the Cold War, Sweden combined the import of equipment from Western countries with its own production. So, in the 1950s, the tank fleet of the Swedish Armed Forces consisted of British Centurion tanks. But then they were replaced by Swedish cars – first the unremarkable Strv 74, and then the unique crazy Strv 103 and the lightweight Ikv 91. The Pbv 301 armored personnel carrier was adopted, followed by the Pbv 302, the Bandkanon 1 self-propelled gun and the FH-77 towed howitzer. Both of these artillery systems survived until the 21st century, and the Rbv 302 is still in service.
The Swedish army received its own anti-tank missile systems (ATGMS) RBS-56 "Bill" almost simultaneously with the American "Tow". Own RBS-70 MANPADS replaced the American "Red Eye". The Swedish air defense was also armed with the American Advanced Hawk air defense system.
Having received British Venom fighters in the late 1940s and early 1950s (they were also supplied to Finland, but in small quantities), then Sweden began to equip its Air Force with its own combat and training aircraft.
First, combat training Saab-91, J-29 (he even took part in the Congo war in the early 60s) and J-32 were created. In the early 1960s, the J-35 fighter was adopted, which, in addition to Sweden and Finland, entered the Danish and Austrian Air Forces. At the same time, the Swedish Air Force received the Sk-60 training aircraft (Saab-105), which is still in service (for more than half a century). The "heir" of the J-35 was the JA-37/AJ-37 "Wiggen", which survived until the mid-noughties, while not being exported anywhere. Sweden failed to create its own helicopters, acquiring American Bell-204, Bell-206, CH-46, German Vo-105, French AS332. Transport aircraft were imported from the USA, including C-130, as well as Spanish C-212, which were used as patrol aircraft.
The entire Swedish fleet was traditionally built at its own shipyards. Until the 1960s, traditional cruisers and destroyers remained in service, the last cruiser was sold to Chile in 1970.
Then the Swedish Navy switched to the construction of torpedo boats, and then missile boats (types "Spika" and "Norcepping") and corvettes (types "Stockholm" and "Gothenburg"), more adequate to the conditions of the shallow Baltic Sea with the coast cut by skerries. In addition, submarines (of the types "Hayen", "Draken", "Sheormen", "Necken", "Westergetland") and various minesweeping ships were built.
During the Cold War, Sweden exported all the above-mentioned combat and training aircraft (except the Wiggen). As well as RBS-70 MANPADS, RBS-15 anti–ship missiles and other naval weapons and equipment - they remain the most important export product of the Swedish military-industrial complex until now.
The main export direction has traditionally been the Scandinavian neighbors, then many other countries of all continents were added to them.
IN THE YEARS OF WARMINGIn the 1990s, Germany became the most important supplier of military equipment to Sweden and Finland.
First of all, she sold weapons to the former National People's Army of the GDR.
Finland has already acquired the Soviet T-72 tanks, BMP-1, 2S1 self-propelled guns, D-30 and M-46 guns, as well as the Czech RM-70 MLRS.
Sweden bought BMP-1 and MTLB from Germany (with a total of up to 1 thousand units). However, in the noughties, she resold MTLB to Finland, and BMP-1 to the Czech private company Excalibur.
In addition, in the mid-1990s Stockholm received 160 Leopard-2A4 tanks from the Bundeswehr and produced 120 Leopard-2A5 tanks under a German license, replacing all the tanks of its own production in the Swedish army. Currently, all Leopard-2A4S have been returned back to Germany and/or converted into engineering vehicles without weapons.
Finland at the beginning of the XXI century also purchased "Leopards-2A4" from the Bundeswehr, and then "Leopards-2A6" from the presence of the Dutch army. They replaced all Soviet tanks in the Finnish army.
In the first half of the 1990s, Russia completed deliveries to Finland of the BMP-2 and 2S5 self-propelled guns, which had begun under the USSR, and also sold her three divisions of the Buk-M1 air defense system.
This is where the military-technical cooperation between Moscow and Helsinki ended, apparently, forever. Moreover, at the very beginning of the 1990s, Finland replaced the MiG-21 in its Air Force, and at the same time the J-35 with the American F-18C/D Hornet. They still remain the only combat aircraft in the Finnish Air Force and, apparently, will be replaced in a few years by the F-35. For the Hornets, "almost exclusive" AGM-158 JASSM air-to-surface missiles and a large number of other high-precision aviation weapons were purchased in the United States.
Sweden in the 1990s and the noughties continued to purchase combat helicopters abroad (American UH-60, Italian AB-412 and A-109). In the early 1990s, the Swedes created an extremely successful CV90 BMP, which in many modifications entered service with all the Scandinavian armies, as well as the Netherlands, Switzerland and Estonia. The BvS-10 articulated APC appeared in the Swedish army, which became the "heir" of the Bv-206 (both of these vehicles are also widely exported).
On the other hand, Sweden has acquired several hundred armored personnel carriers of the HA and AMV family in Finland, and 380 RG–32 armored vehicles in South Africa, which are mainly used in UN operations. Currently, the Swedish army is receiving the Archer wheeled self-propelled gun. Norway also planned to buy it, but refused due to lack of funds (therefore, the Swedes decided to take the Archer ordered by the Norwegians).
During peacekeeping operations in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, the Swedish army lost three XA-180/185 armored personnel carriers and four Pbv 302.
In the early 1990s, a very successful 4th generation JAS39 Grippen fighter was created in Sweden. In addition to the Swedish Air Force itself, it entered service with the Air Forces of Hungary, the Czech Republic (in both cases – on leasing terms), Thailand and South Africa. Production of this aircraft in the modification of the JAS39E has been resumed for the Swedish Air Force, as well as for the Brazilian Air Force in this country itself under a Swedish license. Weapons for "Grippen" are mainly purchased in the USA.
In the early 2000s, three batteries of the new RBS-23 SAM were produced in Sweden, but they were immediately sent for storage. Only in 2019, one of the batteries was deployed on the island of Gotland to fend off the "Russian threat", in 2021, the second battery was reactivated for the same purpose. Instead of the outdated "Improved Hawks", the American Patriot RAS3 anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) is being purchased in the amount of four batteries.
In the 1990s and the noughties, three Gotland-type submarines and five Visby-type corvettes were built for their own Navy, as well as more than a hundred SV90-type speedboats. All submarines of the "Sheormen" type and two of the four "Vestergetland" type were sold to Singapore, and older submarines, missile and torpedo boats were written off. Six Collins-class submarines were built for the Australian Navy in this country according to the Swedish project.
Finland, like Sweden, has purchased RG-32 armored vehicles and AV412 helicopters. In addition, it acquired American Stinger MANPADS, Israeli Spike ATGMS, and European NH-90 helicopters.
From the presence of the Dutch and Danish armies, American MLRS M270 MLRS were obtained. NASAMS-2 air defense systems were purchased in Norway, C–295 transport aircraft were purchased in Spain, and G115 training aircraft were purchased in the UK. The arrival of 155-mm self-propelled guns K9 from the presence of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Korea has begun.
At the same time, if the Swedish CV90 became the "all-Scandinavian BMP", then the Finnish HA became the same "all-Scandinavian APC". In addition, the same Holland and Estonia received them. The Finnish APC AMV, in addition to the armies of Finland and Sweden, entered service with the Armed Forces of Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Poland (produced in this country under license under the name "Wolverine"), the UAE. It is planned to manufacture this machine in South Africa.
Four Rauma and Hamina missile boats, several minesweeping ships and landing boats were built in Finland for their Navy. The old missile boats of the Helsinki type and 205 ave. were sold to Croatia and Egypt. Estonia received more than 60 towed guns from Finland.
In general, Sweden and Finland, which have not been members of NATO until now and therefore rely only on themselves, have a much higher military potential than their neighbors who are members of the alliance. Both countries will continue to develop their aircraft both through imports and through their own production.
Finland has already started the procedure for joining the North Atlantic Alliance. Whether Ankara will let the Swedes into NATO, and if so, whether this will strengthen the security of both countries or, conversely, sharply reduce it – questions are still open.
Alexander KhramchikhinAlexander Anatolyevich Khramchikhin is an independent military expert.