The Swedish defense procurement agency (Försvarets materielverk , FMV) which recently received the first unit of the Patriot air defense system (ADS) is currently assembling the first unit for tests that will be carried out during autumn. The Patriot ADS is expected to be handed over the Swedish armed forces in November following conclusion of successful tests, the FMV said in a release. The tests will be spread over a period of six weeks. Ahead of that, the U.S. supplier (Lockheed Martin), together with FMV and with the support of the Swedish Armed Forces, will carry out the System Integration check.
Sweden decided to request an offer for the Patriot system in November 2017 and in August 2018 an agreement was signed for 4 units and 12 launchers to form 2 battalions. No follow up orders are to be made. The initial cost was to be around 10 Billion SEK but the price is deemed much higher and is now classified, known as Luftvärnssystem 103 (Anti-air system 103) in Swedish service, would be delivered in 2021 and 2022. The first Swedish troops were training on the system at Fort Sill in December 2018. Försvarets materielverk accepted the first deliveries in April 2021 and System Integration and Check Out was initiated by Försvarsmakten.
Although it is not a NATO member, Sweden has been beefing up its armed forces after decades of neglect amid increased anxiety over Russia’s actions in Ukraine and Crimea. The Government of Sweden has requested to buy four (4) Patriot Configuration-3+ Modernized Fire Units consisting of: four (4) AN/MPQ-65 radar sets, four (4) AN/MSQ-132 engagement control stations, nine (9) antenna mast groups, twelve (12) M903 launching stations, one hundred (100) Patriot MIM-104E Guidance Enhanced Missile-TBM (GEM-T) missiles, two hundred (200) Patriot Advanced Capabilty-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles, and four (4) Electrical Power Plants (EPP) III.
The MIM-104 Patriot is a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, the primary of its kind used by the U.S. Army and several allied nations. The AN/MPQ-53 at the heart of the system is known as the “Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target” which is a backronym for PATRIOT. PAC-3 is one of the missiles used by Configuration 3+, but as Patriot is an entire system, not just a missile, the Config 3+ enhancements involve a whole suite of upgrades and capabilities. So far, 15 other countries have purchased Patriot, including NATO members Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Poland, while neutral Switzerland has said it is considering Patriot among other systems.
