Trending 
Sweden is exploring the possibility of recalling former military officers up to the age of 70 to active duty as part of its efforts to bolster defence readiness.
This proposal emerged from a government inquiry initiated in 2024, the same year Sweden joined NATO, aiming to ensure adequate personnel for its expanding armed forces in a crisis.
Defence Minister Pål Jonson stated on Monday that the Nordic nation of 10.5 million people faces “serious times,” necessitating “very significant investments in military defence.” Beyond equipment, ensuring sufficient personnel is a top priority.
The government probe suggested increasing the recall age for former officers from the current 47 to 70.
Expanding Military Personnel and Reserve Forces
The inquiry also recommended removing the 10-year limit on military deployment for former conscripts. Currently, conscripts’ deployment duty ends a decade after their last service.
The new proposal suggests scrapping this limit and instead placing those who haven’t served for 10 years or more into the Swedish Armed Forces’ reserve force.
Jonson indicated that these proposals will undergo review, with a bill expected to be presented to parliament early next year.
Sweden’s shift in defence policy follows a significant reversal from its post-Cold War stance, where it drastically cut defence spending to focus on peacekeeping.
Following Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, and particularly after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Sweden, like Finland, grew alarmed, leading to its historic decision to join NATO.
In response, Sweden reintroduced compulsory military service in 2017 and announced in March an additional 300 billion kronor ($31 billion) increase in defence spending over the next decade, aiming to reach 3.5 per cent of GDP by 2030.
