The Swedish government has announced plans to double its civil defense budget over the next three years.

SVT reported on this with reference to the Minister of Civil Defense, Carl-Oskar Bohlin.

The Minister stated that the government will increase the civil defense budget by SEK 2 billion ($192 million) this year, which is expected to grow to 15 billion kroons by 2028.

“The security situation remains serious and will remain so for the foreseeable future,” Bohlin said.

The additional funds will reportedly be used to strengthen health and rescue services, food and drinking water supplies, and transportation and energy infrastructure.

The largest funds will be allocated to healthcare and social assistance.

Development of military infrastructure

In August, Militarnyi reported that the Armed Forces of Norway and Sweden signed an agreement with the Norwegian state-owned railway company Bane NOR to purchase new railroad cars to transport military equipment.

Purchasing new freight cars will enhance the ability to transport heavy military equipment by rail, including new main battle tanks.

This agreement should significantly improve opportunities for military rail transportation in and between Norway, Sweden, and other European countries.

In June, Norway, Finland, and Sweden agreed to create a cross-border military transport corridor to facilitate the transfer of military equipment and personnel between the countries.

The defense ministers of the three countries have been instructed to work on the corridor in cooperation with civilian actors.

Together, they will identify bottlenecks, update the necessary regulations and legislation, and invest in the required infrastructure.