STOCKHOLM (Sputnik) — According to the SR radio, the Swedish opposition Center Party and the liberal conservative Moderate Party have been negotiating the issue for some time, which led to the government endorsing the plans.
"The Armed Forces support [the idea], which is important. Moreover, [Patriot] is a reliable system that is deployed in many countries in our region, which would increase the possibility of our cooperation with others," Hans Wallmark, the defense policy spokesman of the Moderate Party, told the radio, adding that it is "absolutely necessary" to renew the country’s air defense system to be able to face modern challenges.
Patriot is a long-range all-altitude air defense system capable of countering tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and advanced aircraft. The United States supplies Patriot systems to a number of its allies, including Germany, Israel, Japan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
