Defence Cooperation Agreement with the United States

A DCA with the US creates conditions for more continuous cooperation between our countries and enables US military support and reinforcements if necessitated by the security situation. The US requires a DCA to be able to make investments and maintain a presence in Sweden for anything other than temporary and short-term exercises. 

The ability to quickly receive US military support before or at an early stage of a threat scenario is critical to preventing the emergence of military threats against Sweden and against allies in our neighbourhood, and to deterring and ultimately defending against an armed attack. The agreement is important for defence planning. It raises the threshold against armed attacks and has a stabilising effect. Concluding the agreement is in itself an important indication of the US’s security and defence policy engagement with Sweden.  

The agreement enables more continuous cooperation by setting the conditions in advance for US forces to operate in Sweden. This includes issues such as the legal status of US military personnel, access to deployment areas, pre-positioning of materiel, and taxes and customs regulations. For the US to be able to effectively provide military support and contribute to the defence of Swedish territory, the US military needs to be granted certain rights. These rights are granted within well-regulated frameworks, in line with a standard that several NATO Members, EU Member States and other Nordic countries apply in their agreements with the US.

Yes. The agreement regulates which country will have the primary right to prosecute and try offences by members of US forces in Sweden. The US will have primary jurisdiction for crimes committed by members of US forces both on- and off-duty. Sweden will be able to take back jurisdiction in cases we consider to be of particular importance like events that occur off-duty that do not solely concern US interests.

Yes, the DCA was formally concluded when it was signed, after which the contents were also published. For the agreement to enter into force, the Riksdag must approve and adopt the legislative amendments needed to implement it. Entry into force should be possible by the end of 2024.

The appendix to the agreement lists agreed facilities and areas that US forces, US and Swedish contractors and their relatives will be granted access to and the right to use for visits, training, exercises and other activities. This will concern facilities operated by the Swedish Armed Forces. Sweden and the US will have joint access to all locations, excluding certain parts that the parties can agree are exclusively reserved for US forces. This could apply, for example, to a storage building.

The agreement grants the US the right to store materiel in the locations specified in the appendix. This will concern locations operated by the Swedish Armed Forces. Sweden will always be informed about what is stored. The agreement builds on close cooperation between the US and Sweden and is subject to Swedish consent to the activities that take place in Sweden. All activities will take place with full respect for Swedish sovereignty, Swedish laws and international obligations of Sweden.

In the short term, it means that the Swedish Armed Forces and the US counterparts will be able to conduct joint activities at the facilities more easily. In the long term, once collective planning within NATO and with Allies in our neighbourhood has progressed further, the facilities may be upgraded for collective defence needs. Our assessment is that US presence strengthens security locally and nationally.