RADM Skoog Haslum discussed the situation in the Black Sea, the expected impact of the increase in the Swedish defense budget (2% of GDP), current and future programs of the Royal Swedish Navy (future surface combatants, upgrade of Visby-class corvettes, Blekinge-class submarines), sustaining the know-how regarding submarine production, seabed warfare and recent incidents in the Baltic Sea, and the reasons for her visit to Australia.
Naval News: We first met last year in the United States, in May the conflict in Ukraine was just getting started. What is the latest with the Royal Swedish Navy in November 2023?
RADM Skoog Haslum: These 18 months have really been challenging, I think for for all navies around the world, all armed forces as well, of course, we don’t hear that much reports from what’s happening in the Black Sea. Unfortunately, because there are a lot of things ongoing, maybe the Grain Export is something we listen to, but not more than that. Maybe we should, because then we could remind ourselves how dependent we are of sea trade and sea routes and how to protect them. So there are lots of things ongoing, we are in a huge growth in the armed forces in Sweden as a whole. And the programs we have and plan for is ongoing.
Naval News: There was a very recent announcement about some increase in defense budget. With Sweden, on its way to reach 2%. For the defense budget, what kind of impact do you expect in terms of investment in the Navy from this decision?
RADM Skoog Haslum: There are great changes. So from our last review, 2020, we are now extending that one to 2% of the GDP at least. So our chief of defense this week, he sent a new advice to the government to have a new review next year. So that advice that’s actually on how to grow into 2% of our GDP. That means a lot to do today as well. But I would have wished for more of course, but we already have some plan and programs that were decided in 2020.
Naval News: So you have a number of ongoing programs being managed by the Swedish FMV. The upgrade of the in service Visby class are the next generation surface combatants. And of course, the Blekinge-class submarines. Do you expect any kind of impact from the recent decision on these ongoing programs
RADM Skoog Haslum: You are so well informed! Yeah, our new surface competence and the midlife upgrade of Visby that is, of course, including the air defense systems, which by way the missiles we didn’t had onboard any Swedish navy vessel since the 70s. So it’s a huge change for us and a huge capability change for us. We need to learn a lot about the air defense missiles and so on. So that is huge change for us. But of course, our new submarines are ongoing they are they are built right now at Saab Kockums. So we’re looking forward to those as well, both quantity wise, but also quality wise. But we have changes in the Marines, we are extending the Marines, we’re doing them more, more lethal, we are doing them more seaborne, for example, to actually work in our huge archipelago, which we have with so many different islands, the logistical purposes, but also for our mine countermeasures, we will have huge amount of unmanned systems on board. So there are so many different capability changes, or actually we’re growing into but as I said, a lot of those questions were already decided 2020. But as you know, it takes time to build a strong navy. So we’re looking 12 years ahead all the time.
Naval News: Regarding the topic of submarines, with just five submarines in the fleet, how do you sustain the know how and capability industry wise,
RADM Skoog Haslum: The know-how absolutely we can sustain. But we need to order in a flow all the time. Not do what we have done historicaly wise, it takes 30 years before you order a new one because then you lose the capabilities. So now we really strive to have a sound capability production all the time ongoing. So in this review, or this advice, the chief of defense advice to the government, that also includes a next generation submarine with “submarine 30”. It is a working name right now. So the next generation, after Blekinge-class, there will be a new one.
Naval News: Looking at very recent events in the in the Baltic Sea, there has been once again, some kind of incidents relating to sea cables or communication cables or pipelines on the seabed first between Finland and Estonia and then between Sweden and Estonia. What can you share with us regarding this topic?
RADM Skoog Haslum: Yeah, we had the NORDSTREAM sabotage last year. And this year, just some months ago, we had the cables and pipelines hampered as well. So several pipelines cables were harmed. And we can now see that that has been really harmed. It’s not it’s not an accident that happened in just certain cables. So we’re investigating that Finland is Estonia and Sweden police department are investigating what is happening and we of course, are fulfilling our task to to actually have the puzzle laid. So I say so we are making the puzzle right now with who has been there? How does it look? Do we have any other trace from it on the seabed. But but this is challenging, and I think all people who work working in the maritime domain, we have been aware of this. But I think for many people today, now we are waking up and see that, okay, we are so dependent on what’s in the seabed. UNCLOS was written when we didn’t have that kind of infrastructure on the seabed. So I believe there will be some changes in next coming years because we need it. It is hard, it’s hard to survey. It’s hard to protect. It’s not a navy task to protect the infrastructure actually it is the role of private companies, or the agencies which own those cables, but of course, we should be there to protect the interests from our countries. So it is challenging, but I must say that the unmanned systems that now are being so in quite high speed taken care of and how we develop that capability is also a good portion of contribution to how we can surveil and protect it. But it is really challenging because we are so dependent on the data cables and the energy sources.
Naval News: Last but not least, May I ask you the reason for your visit to Australia, you’re here so far away from the Baltic indeed. And how important is the region, the Indo-Pacific, from a Swedish perspective,
RADM Skoog Haslum: There are two reasons of course, we are from Team Sweden perspective, because we of course, support our industries that are very much connected to Australia. Without mentioned anyone, so we’re quite interested about that. But also being a NATO member. It’s a need for us to zoom out and make a little bit more interest in what’s happening in this region. Because as I can see, after these three days we’ve been here, It’s the same challenges, but in a totally different domain or region. And the challenges they are the same, but we can see so many different differences as well. So it’s good to be here because you see it with another set of eyes.
