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Striving to join NATO in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Sweden hopes its submarines will give the military alliance a strategic edge in the Baltic Sea. The HMS Gotland is one of three submarines of its type operated by the Swedish navy and is moored at the navy’s historic home, Karlskrona. The commander of Sweden’s first submarine flotilla, Captain Fredrik Linden, said the strength of the Swedish submarine force, or “silent service”, lies in cutting-edge technology, knowledge, and experience of operating in the Baltic Sea. In 2021, Sweden signed agreements to build the next generation of surface vessels for its navy, and it will be adding two more “Blekinge” submarines to its fleet. According to Johan Lofgren, head of collections at the naval museum in Karlskrona, Sweden downsized its armed forces after the Cold War. “The navy was hit hard, and only a few ships were kept in the navy. As time went on and the 90s went on, the small missile attack ships were phased out and replaced by what they have today - the Visby corvettes, the stealth corvettes that are built here in Karlskrona and make up the core of the fleet today,” he said, adding that “It’s quite a small fleet compared to what we had in the 70s or 80s but it’s hopefully a more powerful fleet.” Sweden is aiming to spend 2% of its GDP on defence by 2026 to increase its military capacity across land, sea, and air. The country aims to double its number of conscripts from an estimated 24,000 in 2025, to 50,000 in 2035, according to the chief of the military. Both Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Sun newspaper brings you the latest breaking news videos and explainers from the UK and around the world Become a Sun Subscriber and hit the bell to be the first to know Read The Sun: Like The Sun on Facebook: Follow The Sun on Twitter: Subscribe to The Sun on Snapchat: #nato #worldnews #sweden #ukraine
