From April 27 to May 13, the Swedish Armed Forces, with Aurora 26, will conduct the largest national military exercise of the year. The national exercise is carried out in close coordination with allied nations and Ukraine, which will also participate with their own forces. In this way, this national-multinational exercise serves to test the operational defense plans and to strengthen security and stability in the Baltic Sea region.
Aurora 26 involves more than 16,000 soldiers from all branches of the Swedish Armed Forces. The exercise takes place in southern and central Sweden, on the island of Gotland, and in the Baltic Sea region. It also includes the onboarding and integration of around 1,500 allied soldiers, as well as testing plans for reinforcement deployments in the Baltic Sea and along the NATO eastern flank.
Aurora 26 serves as a dress rehearsal for NATO-adapted defense plans
Following Sweden’s accession to NATO, the Swedish Armed Forces have taken on a new mission: to defend Sweden and its allies and contribute to NATO’s collective defense. Aurora 26 serves as a dress rehearsal for NATO-adapted operational defense plans within the framework of the new NATO framework. All service branches – Army, Navy, Air Force, and Home Guard – participate together with forces from eleven NATO member states and Ukraine in a coordinated, cross-domain exercise that lasts for more than two weeks.
The aim of the exercise is to improve interoperability, strengthen joint operational capabilities, and increase readiness for combined military operations. Sweden’s strategic position in the High North provides a critical access point for reinforcement by NATO. Aurora 26 demonstrates the ability to ensure safe and efficient transport of personnel and equipment from West to East, thereby supporting NATO’s collective defense capability.
