Admiral Rob Bauer, chair of the NATO Military Committee, visited Sweden on the request of its supreme commander, General Micael Bydén, from 31 August to 1 September 2022. The goal of the visit was to obtain a deeper understanding of Sweden’s military capabilities and to discuss the collaboration between Sweden and NATO throughout the accession process.
NATO Military Committee Chairman visits Sweden
Admiral Rob Bauer, Chair of the NATO Military Committee, began his official tour by meeting with the State Secretaries of Foreign Affairs and Defense, Robert Rydberg and Jan-Olav Lind, respectively. The talks centered on the present security climate, the various strategies adopted to protect Allied and national territory, and continued contributions to shared security. Admiral Bauer stated, “Sweden and Finland’s participation in NATO will facilitate deeper Baltic and Nordic defense cooperation, bolster the Alliance’s presence in the High North, and enhance transatlantic security.”
Admiral Bauer, along by General Bydén and the Deputy Chief of Joint Operations, Major General Wikman, traveled to Northern Finland to witness the Vigilant Knife exercise. Hundreds of Swedish soldiers traveled to Northern Finland on short notice, where they were put under Finnish leadership and trained alongside British forces. The objective was to maintain quick preparedness and capacity for joint operations on difficult missions. All soldiers demonstrated that they are very competent of collaborating under the prevailing circumstances in Northern Finland. Admiral Bauer: “Sweden and Finland have never previously trained together with so short notice.” Their armed forces most impressed me with their vigor, passion, professionalism, and efficiency. Allies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are pleased to have Finland and Sweden as their closest operational partners. And we want to have them join our Alliance shortly.”
On the second day, Admiral Bauer met with Colonel Edstrom, commander of the Norrbotten Aviation Force Wing, who informed him on continuing air actions, such as fast reaction units and the security of Swedish airspace. “For more than a decade, the Swedish Air Force has participated in NATO fast response alert drills. Swedish fighters participate in weekly defensive air maneuvers with NATO fighters in order to contribute to the security and stability over Europe, the Baltic Sea Region, and the High North, as the Admiral emphasized.
Admiral Bauer then reviewed the admission process with the head of the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters Strategic Planning Group for NATO, Major General Thomas Nilsson, and the head of the Department of Policy and Plans, Major General Lennart Persson Herlitz.
Admiral Bauer, at a joint news conference with Swedish Chief of Defense General Micael Bydén, addressed the continuing process for Sweden’s entrance to NATO: “Sweden is one of NATO’s closest allies. We have been collaborating to enhance our common security, we share the same ideals, and interoperability is high. Parallel to the process of admission and ratification, the preparations for military integration have also begun. This indicates that Sweden is an invited participant at Military Committee sessions. We look forward to seeing General Bydén on September 17 at the Military Committee Conference in Tallinn.”