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As reported by DN, opinions differ on how the Västernorrland I 21 regiment should be restarted in Sollefteå. Defense politicians from various parties have assumed that the infrastructure that already exists must be the foundation of education. The Östersund Field Fighter Corps Regiment Subdivision would also use the facilities at the site.
Now it turns out that the Armed Forces instead want to put the shovel down and build new ones in both Sollefteå and Östersund. Construction is scheduled to start in 2023 and construction is due to be completed by 2029 in Sollefteå and 2028 in Östersund.
Commander in Chief Micael Bydén he justifies the new buildings by saying that this is what the Swedish Fortifications Agency, which is responsible for defense properties, has recommended.
– This is a close collaboration with the Swedish Fortifications Agency, and we can hear the experience there. Infrastructure is one of the challenges for us, not just in Sollefteå. It’s about finding the best way forward, both for us, the municipality of Sollefteå, and for society at large. But the basic plan is for new construction, says Micael Bydén, who adds:
– But we haven’t closed any doors.
Soldiers’ training will start in Östersund in 2022. In Sollefteå, soldiers from 2024 will be trained in premises that are rented and vacated when the new buildings are completed. Newly built regiments are also proposed for the Valley Regiment in Falun and the A 9 in Kristinehamn, but defense politicians are more aware of these constructions.
In another area that also concerns the army, the Armed Forces want to go a different path from that of the politicians. This applies to the new Army Division Artillery. According to the Riksdag defense decision of December, the army will have two new battalions of cannon artillery, that is, with the Archer type of pieces already in use.
In the other of these two battalions, the Armed Forces want to introduce rocket artillery. It is a completely new weapon system in Sweden that has the advantage of a much longer range, but also costs more.
– Not reviewing the possibility of significantly increasing the capacity and range of our artillery before making a decision would be a mistake. So it’s an opportunity to go a better way, says ÖB.
In the background it is pointed out that large equipment projects involve risks and that the investment plan, which has a duration of 12 years, should be reviewed.
Time and again, the Riksdag’s defense decisions have proven to be underfunded. But according to ÖB, this is not the case for the current decision for the years 2021-2025.
– Until 2025, we will resolve the controls that we have received with the given economy and with the conditions that apply today. The defense decision means real investments, it is welcome and necessary. And this is what we are going to do, says Micael Bydén.
