Phl mulls defense asset acquisition from Sweden

The Philippines, through the Department of National Defense (DND), is exploring the possibility of acquiring defense assets from Sweden.

The DND announced yesterday that Philippine and Swedish officials recently discussed the implementation of the memorandum of understanding on the Cooperation in the Acquisition of Defense Materiel.

It said that Defense Undersecretary Irineo Espino met with Swedish State Secretary for foreign affairs Jan Knutsson last week to discuss the matter and other common security challenges affecting both nations, including the updates on the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program as well as the funding requirements and the Philippine procurement law.

Knutsson showcased Sweden’s strong defense industry to counter threats and its cost-effective materiel, primarily its aircraft.

Espino, in turn, conveyed the DND’s openness to explore cooperation in technology transfer as well as research and development, among others, in line with the Philippines’ efforts to achieve a self-reliant defense posture and more effectively protect its sovereignty.

Both officials also discussed climate change, the ongoing war in Ukraine, cross-strait tensions and the South China Sea issue.

The DND said both sides looked forward to developing a long-term bilateral cooperation, underscoring the importance of upholding the rules-based international order and strengthening security ties between like-minded countries.

Both the Philippines and Sweden emphasized the urgency of addressing security threats in the continuously evolving cyber domain. Underlining cyber security as one of the President’s priority agenda, Espino discussed the DND and its bureaus’ efforts to build a stronger cyber security framework and identify potential partners in this regard.

The DND said the meeting served as a follow-through to Espino’s courtesy call on Knutsson during the Philippine official’s visit to Stockholm in October 2023.