1/4/2024 0 Comments Tanks modern age sl![]() ![]() In order to do this legitimately, it was necessary for Sweden to be able to defend itself without relying on foreign aid. While heavily leaning in favor of NATO and occasionally secretly cooperating with them, maintaining its image of neutrality became very important to Swedish foreign policy. Vehicles include Strv 101 (Centurion) tanks and Ikv 91 assault guns in the front row as well as Pbv 302s IFVs in the second row. Parts of a mechanized brigade from the P 10 armored regiment in 1984. This threat in combination with new tactical developments brought about by WW2, in the form of air-naval landings and highly mobile mechanized formations, required Sweden to possess armored vehicles capable of taking on a modern opponent. This, in combination with Soviet expansionism in the 1930s, which shifted the Soviet borders westward in the peace treaty following the Second World War, made the Soviet Union, and by extension Warsaw Pact, out to be the obvious enemy. ![]() This left a legacy of russophobia which remains even today. The threat from the east was not new, as conflicts with Russia had occurred for hundreds of years. ![]() In the subsequent arms race and posturing undertaken by both sides, Sweden was left in a very exposed position.ĭespite Sweden’s ostensibly neutral position in a divided Europe, the threat was clearly seen as coming from the east. In the new world order dominated by the US and Soviet Union, Sweden became a buffer zone along the northern frontline of the NATO-Warsaw standoff. The conflict was, however, never far away, and Sweden constantly struggled to put up a credible defense, in large part because it lacked preparation before the war.īut just as the dust settled on the European continent following the largest war in human history, it became clear that another war might not be far off. Thanks to its location on the periphery of the European continent, in combination with the leverage provided by its indiginous industry and resources, Sweden was able to avoid direct involvement in World War II. Swedish Armored Vehicles at the End of the Cold War ![]()
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