IFC 2025: Swedish Air Force seeks to develop capabilities at speed to re-establish deterrence

A pair of SwAF Gripen combat aircraft depart during an air-defence exercise. The head of the service has stressed the need to enhance its capabilities at speed if deterrence over Russia is to be maintained. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)

The Swedish Air Force (SwAF) is on a path to developing the modern capabilities it needs at the speeds required to re-establish deterrence against Russia.

Speaking at the IQPC International Fighter Conference (IFC) 2025 in Rome on 4 November, the head of the SwAF, Major General Jonas Wikman, said that to him, the increasing pressures on his service to deliver both homeland and NATO air defence are such that the ability to upgrade capabilities at speed is increasingly more important than presently fielding the most up-to-date capabilities.

“In my air force and in Sweden, we are really living under a sense of urgency. Tempo is high, and the pressure is high on us – the next decisive conflict in Europe may not be decades away, it may be only years away. The question for us is not whether war could return, but whether we will be ready when it does.

“What readiness for the future threat really means to me is not more planning, but faster adaptation to the circumstances. [It is] not just building strength, but ensuring relevance. To me, that is a need to adapt at the speed of relevance, because when conflict comes we will be judged not only by the plans we have, but by the speed at which we can turn intent into effect,” Maj Gen Wikman said.