The Swedish parliament will vote on whether to allow up to 3,900 Swedish ground troops to participate in Nato deterrence missions against Russia during 2027.

The government, which is a transitional one currently led by the conservative party, submitted the proposal on October 8th.

In a press release a few days later the Foreign Minister Maria Stenergard said that “Russia is the most serious threat against the security of Sweden and our allies.”

In the proposal to parliament the government says that Russia will probably be in a confrontation with the West during the foreseeable future, and its goals are described as stretching beyond Ukraine.

Foreign Minister Stenergard says Nato is facing a shift where Europe must take significantly more responsibility for its own security, and Sweden is looking to play its part in this shift.

The main element of the proposed force would be up to 3,900 ground troops to Nato’s Forward Land Forces (FLF) mission in Finland and also in Latvia.

In Finland Sweden is responsible for the operation as ‘framework nation’.

The FLF mission here started in June 2026, bringing the total of FLF battlegroups to nine.

Together they are known as the ‘enhanced forward presence’.

A Nato press release in June stated that the establishment of FLF Finland “places a Swedish battlegroup based in Boden, Sweden, and a Multinational Staff Element in Rovaniemi, Finland, under the command of SACEUR and NATO.”

The Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) is usually an American officer.

Currently it is General Alexus G. Grynkewich, of the US Air Force, serving since July 2025.

SACEUR is based in Brussels, hence the common practice of EU news correspondents also being reporters on Nato matters.

In Latvia the Forward Land Forces are under Canada as framework nation and have been deployed since 2017.

As well as the ground forces for Finland and Latvia the proposal from the Swedish government also covers up to 850 people in marine forces and up to 600 in the air domain.

A force of 600 would be the equivalent of 12 fighter jets with their crew and support staff, as well as a company of ground-based air defence soldiers.

This is all estimated by the government to not need any extra budget voted by parliament.

In other words, they say it will fit inside the existing budget for Sweden’s military expenses, since Nato costs are seen by them as as a natural part of Sweden’s defence.

The proposal to parliament would also allow Nato forces on Swedish territory to take military actions that are seen as necessary for their defence and for the defence of their allies.

In other words, military action in Sweden by the FLF forces from Boden could happen under the command of SACEUR, rather than under a wholly Swedish chain of command.

In a previous decision parliament voted to allow up to 1,700 ground troops, up to 700 naval personnel and up to 600 people in the air domain to be deployed within Nato missions until the end of 2026.

This current proposal is hence asking for almost a doubling: from 3,100 to 5,350 personnel.

If parliament agrees this Swedish force would be permitted to take part in Nato operations until the end of 2027.

Picture: An armoured combat vehicle as used by one of the Swedish units currently deployed to Finland.
Credit: Jorchr, Wikipedia

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