-111f0e5095e02c02446ffed57bfb0ab1.jpeg "Photo of Roman Kohanets")
Sweden has significantly reoriented its radar development plans to address advanced ballistic and cruise missile threats, drawing direct lessons from Russia’s missile campaign in Ukraine. The head of the Information and Intelligence Systems Department at Sweden’s Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) procurement organization confirmed the change in an interview published by Janes on August 12.
According to FMV, Sweden’s new detection systems program—Sensorsystem Ny—was shaped by the capabilities demonstrated by ballistic and cruise missiles such as Russia’s Iskander short-range ballistic missile and Kalibr cruise missile.
These weapons, extensively used in Ukraine, combine high speed, manoeuvrability, and low flight profiles, posing serious challenges for traditional air surveillance assets.
“We have to take into account the higher-end threats, not only traditional air-breathing targets,” the FMV representative told Janes, stressing the need for systems capable of tracking multiple, fast-moving targets at various altitudes.
The reorientation will affect the Ground-Based Air Defense Sensor System (GBADSS) programme, shifting priorities towards long-range detection, precision tracking of ballistic missile trajectories, and improved discrimination between real warheads and decoys. Advanced data processing will also be integrated to cut reaction times in high-intensity engagements.
FMV officials said Ukraine’s operational experience has underscored the importance of linking radar assets into a wider, networked air and missile defense system.
This approach, now central to Sweden’s planning, will ensure interoperability with NATO’s integrated air and missile defense architecture—a capability given added urgency by Sweden’s recent accession to the alliance.
The move comes amid growing Russian missile deployments and exercises in the Baltic region, prompting NATO members to accelerate investments in missile detection and interception technologies.
Analysts note that the Sensorsystem Ny programme is part of a broader Swedish effort to adapt to a security environment where advanced missile threats are no longer theoretical but operational realities.
Earlier, it was reported that Sweden is advancing plans to acquire long-range strike systems—including cruise missiles and modern rocket artillery—to enhance its deterrence capability by enabling strikes deep into enemy territory.
