Speech by Minister for Defence Pål Jonson at North Star Space Forum

Under Secretary DiNanno, 
Ambassador Ahlin 
Your excellencies, 
Ladies and gentlemen, 
Dear representatives of the space community.

It is indeed a great pleasure to be back here in Washington and also have the privilege to speak about two topics that are very dear to me: Security and Space. 

My core message this morning is that the deepening of our bilateral security ties between Sweden and the US – and nowadays as true allies inside NATO – ALSO strengthens the opportunities to cooperate in space. 

Sweden is willing and able to take this cooperation to new levels. We see today’s signing ceremony as another important milestone in this endeavour.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Sweden is the newest member of NATO but also one of the most enthusiastic. 

We have tried to hit the ground running as a security provider since we joined the Alliance 18 month ago. 

Swedish forces are now contributing to the forward defence and deterrence of the Alliance - on the ground in Latvia with a mechanised battalion and as the leading framework nation of NATO’s Forward Land Forces in Finland. 

And the Swedish Navy is operating in the Baltic Sea, while our Air Force is patrolling the sky above, all part of NATO’s missions and operations.  

The sustainment of this commitment and our force posture is supported by an aggressive approach to defence investments. 

Sweden has tripled its defence budget during the last six years and aim to reach NATO’s defence investment plan five years before its’ due date.

We get it – this is an era of rebalancing where we Europeans must shoulder a large responsibility for our own security. That also includes Sweden.     

From previously having been a space of strategic uncertainty – when we were non-aligned – Sweden is now a cornerstone of security in Northern Europe.

We are grateful for the United States’ steadfast support to our accession to NATO during difficult times and we have tried to repay the trust that you put into us by being a responsible ally.    

The United States is without a doubt one of Sweden’s most important security and defence partners. The Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) between us ensures ever closer cooperation, bilaterally and within NATO.

Being situated at the crossroads – of the Arctic, the Nordic region, and the Baltic Sea – Sweden has a strategic vantage point.  Not least for early warning of airborne and missile threats directed at the United States from the East. 

In the coming years, Sweden's capabilities for Integrated Air and Missile Defence in the High North will increase significantly. 

We will operate Global Eye Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircrafts and Gripen E fighter jets, as well as increasing numbers of modern air defence systems, including Patriot Surface-to-Air Missiles. 

Ladies and gentlemen

Effective air and missile defence requires assets in space. 

The integration of the space domain within NATO has also progressed rapidly in recent years.

To further strengthen our defense capabilities, the Swedish Government recently adopted Sweden's first defense and security strategy for space. 

This strategy lays out the political, diplomatic and military measures we will take to secure our freedom of action in space. 

The strategy highlights the importance of space capabilities to support our total defence concept. 

It states our pledge to contribute to NATOs defence and deterrence also in the space domain. 

And it signals our intention to position ourselves as a relevant and responsible partner for collaboration on space

To this end, Sweden is acquiring sovereign satellites for communications and ISR, providing additional eyes and ears for the Alliance in the High North.

In August last year we launched the military satellite - GNA-3 - on a rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. And we have several satellites planed for the coming years. 

These satellites are part of Sweden’s defence space program (of course named TOR/THOR) to develop the space capabilities we need for Sweden’s military and civil defence. 

One such capability is to launch satellites into space.

The Swedish government is therefore continuing to invest heavily in the development of launch capability at Spaceport Esrange in the North of Sweden. 

This is the only launch site inside the EU for polar orbiting satellites.

However, commercial space services and actors play an increasingly important role in war, as we have seen in Ukraine. 

This requires commercial actors to be able to maintain access to their services even under extremely challenging conditions. 

Cyber-attacks and disruptions of space services are now part of modern warfare. 

We also see this every day at home in the form of GPS-interference from Russia in the Nordic-Baltic region, affecting and threatening maritime shipping and civil aviation. 

The use of commercial space services in conflicts also means that actions and business decisions by private actors now can have very significant geopolitical consequences.

Without access to commercial space-based communication and intelligence gathering, Ukraine would never have been able to defend itself in the successful manner as it is now doing.

Sweden has made substantial donations to ensure Ukraine’s access to necessary space-related services. 

And in June I signed a letter of intent with my Ukrainian counterpart to further deepening our space cooperation which so far has been mutually rewarding for both countries.  

Ladies and gentlemen 

Sweden might be a small nation of only 10 million and the size of California, but we can play a significant role in space. 

We bring advanced technology, a competitive industry, an innovative mindset, and a strategic geographic location to the table.

Or as Yoda from Star Wars would say: “Smaller in numbers are we, but [perhaps] larger in mind”. 

Innovation in space is key for meeting the evolving challenges, including the growing military and economic collaboration between Moscow and Beijing. 

Sweden is establishing a Defence Innovation Unit inside the Armed Forces and has launched a civil-military innovation program also to speed up the adoption of commercial technology in response to the changing threat environment. 

Similarly, NATO’s Commercial Space Strategy, inspired by the US strategies, recognizes that an important part of space innovation is found in the commercial sector.

Sweden welcomes this development, not the least given our cutting-edge commercial space sector.

Ladies and gentlemen 

To succeed in space cooperation is key.

Examples of notable bilateral collaboration on the commercial level is the Ymir-1 satellite, building on collaborative efforts by Swedish and US companies. 

Another example is the cooperation between Firefly Aerospace and the Swedish Space Corporation. It is an enabler for developing operational launch capability at our Spaceport Esrange. 

The signing of the Technology Safeguards Agreement in June takes us one step closer to achieving this capability. 

And today we reach another milestone with the signing of the amendment and extension of the framework agreement. 

Our signing reflects the longstanding and fruitful collaboration between the United States and Sweden. 

Strengthening the cooperation with Allies and industry as well as conducting joint exercises constitute a vital part of developing readiness and displaying unity. 

The Space Situational Awareness sharing agreement with the US and our participation in Joint Commercial Operations cell (JCO) serve as a testament to this teamwork. 

Together we are keeping space safe and secure.

Together we deter.

Thank you!