International Cooperation

International cooperation is never a goal in itself, since it typically involves higher costs for administration, travel, negotiations, etc. International materiel partnerships should therefore be seen as a tool for streamlining the Swedish procurement and the objective should be to achieve

• increased operational effectiveness
• enhanced interoperability
• cost sharing or
• access to the skills we lack.

Our international collaborations 

Our international collaborations are often long term and focus on creating relationships and building strong trust with partners. We primarily carry out cooperation with the other Nordic countries, countries in the European six-nation co-operation LoI/Framework Agreement, and the U.S.

Sweden has in addition, contributed to the creation of the European Defence Agency, EDA. Swedish membership in the Partnership for Peace, PfP, provides access to parts of NATO's partnerships. NATO’s Maintenance and Supply Agency, NAMSA, can also be used by Sweden and other partner countries and is a tool for cost-effective acquisitions.

In addition to multilateral co-operation within EDA, NATO and the LoI, Sweden currently has bilateral Memorandum of Understanding pacts, known as MOU Agreements, with about 30 countries.