Swedish government investigates sending conscripts on NATO missions abroad

The Swedish government has launched an inquiry into whether the country’s conscripts could be deployed on NATO operations outside Sweden during peacetime, public broadcaster SVT Nyheter reports. The move follows Sweden’s NATO membership and could include participation in defence presence missions in Finland and the Baltic states.

Defence Minister Pål Jonson (Moderate Party) confirmed the inquiry will examine whether Sweden’s conscription system should be adapted to its new role as a NATO ally. The review will assess legal conditions for using both conscripts in training and fully trained personnel in NATO’s collective deterrence and defence efforts.

Current regulations already allow trained conscripts with wartime assignments to be sent abroad in the event of war or heightened alert. The new inquiry will explore whether conscripts could also be deployed on NATO missions during peacetime—potentially to staff Sweden’s troop presence in the Baltics or Finland. While the priority remains using professional personnel, conscripts could be called upon if numbers fall short.

Jonson stressed that conscripts undergoing basic training would not be sent to conflict zones for combat duties. “During basic training, they will not be deployed to foreign conflict areas for wartime service,” he stated. The inquiry will also consider expanding the use of conscripts in training for NATO defence tasks beyond current temporary exercises.

A cross-party reference group will support the investigation, which is due by 26 April 2027. Jonson emphasised the need for broad political consensus on any changes to conscription laws. The government estimates a limited number of conscripts per year may be required to ensure full troop deployment.