Sweden is reportedly preparing to recall thousands of former officers as part of a broader EU and NATO defense expansion drive
Sweden plans to sharply raise the maximum conscription age for former military officers as part of a broad effort to expand its armed forces, state broadcaster SVT reported on Sunday. The proposal comes as the country commits billions of dollars to its military build-up.
Last month, NATO leaders agreed to raise the target for defense spending from 2% to 5% of GDP, with 3.5% allocated directly to the military and the remainder directed toward broader security initiatives. Brussels previously unveiled the €800 billion ($940 billion) ReArm Europe program.
According to the report, Stockholm will raise the age limit for recalling former officers to military service from 47 to 70.
The move comes from a government-appointed commission tasked with addressing long-term military recruitment. The group suggests abolishing the current rule that removes former personnel from the military register after ten years without training – allowing officers with at least one year of active or reserve duty to remain eligible for call-up until age 70.
The proposed change would reportedly reinstate thousands of names that were removed from the register under the current limits, which have until now capped eligibility for conscription at 47.
The proposal is part of a broader plan to boost the military. Sweden, which joined NATO in March 2024, pledged to nearly double its military personnel to 115,000 by 2030, from 60,000 in 2023.
The country reinstated conscription in 2017 after nearly a decade of volunteer-only service, citing regional security concerns.
All parliamentary parties have also backed a pledge to allocate an additional 300 billion kronor ($31.4 billion) for defense, on top of rising annual budgets.
The development reflects a broader militarization drive among European NATO member states, who say they must increase their defense budgets to counter what they describe as a threat from Russia. Moscow has denied that it poses a threat to these countries, accusing Western officials of stoking fear to justify soaring military spending and the decline in living standards across the continent.
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