The Swedish Army has deployed a mechanized battalion as part of NATO’s ground operation in Latvia for the first time.

The SVT newspaper reported on this.

The battalion of 600 troops arrived in Riga on Saturday morning, January 18, 2025, and will be deployed as part of NATO’s permanent forces in the country.

Along with the military, the unit’s armored vehicles, Strf9040 infantry fighting vehicles, Strv 122 tanks, trucks, armored vehicles, and military equipment arrived in Latvia.

The deployed battalion in Latvia is part of the Swedish Army’s South Scandinavian Armored Regiment, which consists of the 71st and 72nd Mechanized Battalions with a total strength of about 1,100 soldiers.

The troops will be deployed at the Ādaži base, where units from 14 other countries will participate in the operation in addition to Swedish troops.

According to the regiment’s press service, an additional 200 troops can be added to the deployed battalion in the event of an unforeseen situation, bringing the total to 800.

It is worth noting that this is the first such deployment of Swedish troops outside the country. The last time the Swedish armed forces operated in Europe was in Kosovo. Since then, Swedish soldiers have participated in larger operations in non-European regions such as Mali and Afghanistan.

“In those operations, our mission was to create peace, and in this operation, we are going to a country where there is peace, and we have to prevent war. We are here to deter,” Marcus Nilsson, head of communications at the South Scandinavian Regiment, stated.

The deployment of a Swedish mechanized battalion in Europe was first announced in January 2024, when Sweden was not yet a NATO member but was actively trying to get closer to the alliance militarily.

After Sweden was officially admitted to NATO in March 2024, the country became the 32nd member of the alliance. The Swedish Ministry of Defense announced the full deployment of Swedish troops as part of NATO’s multinational group in Latvia.

Sweden’s accession to NATO was a historic step, as the country, which had been neutral for more than 200 years, joined the organization after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced it to reconsider its national security policy.