Sweden wants to acquire missiles capable of hitting targets on Russian territory

The Swedish Armed Forces want to acquire cruise missiles that can hit targets deep inside other countries' territory. The defence minister said on Tuesday that such a deterrent capability was needed to cope with Russian capabilities.

In a report submitted to the government this week, the Swedish military said it wanted weapon systems with a range of up to two thousand kilometres to be able to strike military installations and critical infrastructure deep behind enemy lines.

"The experience of the war in Ukraine suggests that Russia is intensively developing its long-range capabilities - whether it is cruise missiles, ballistic missiles or attack drones," Defence Minister Pål Jonson told Reuters. "We need to build a stronger deterrent against this threat," he added.

The distance between Moscow and Stockholm is about 1,000 kilometres.

The Swedish air force has already ordered Swedish-German Taurus cruise missiles with a range of around 500 kilometres for Gripen fighter jets, but Jonson said other systems may also be under consideration.

The report also made clear that Russia could increase its military capacity in the next five years and that Sweden needs to strengthen its air defence and intelligence capabilities, including drones and reconnaissance satellites.

(reuters, lud)