Two NATO countries prepare to acquire powerful anti-aircraft guns to give to Ukraine

Sweden and Denmark have decided to take another step in their military support for Ukraine with a formula that goes beyond the simple donation of weapons. Both countries have closed an agreement to jointly purchase Tridon Mk2 mobile anti-aircraft systems and deliver them to the Ukrainian army, in a movement that combines military urgency, industrial cooperation and political messaging within NATO.

The announcement comes at a particularly delicate time for kyiv. With the arrival of winter, Russia has intensified airstrikes against energy infrastructure, electrical grids and urban areas, forcing Ukraine to reinforce its short- and medium-range anti-aircraft defense. This is where the Tridon Mk2 fits in, a system specifically designed to deal with threats such as drones, cruise missiles and low-altitude aircraft.

But The Nordic agreement is not just a tactical response to war: it is also an example of how European countries are learning to coordinate purchasing, production and deliveries in a context of protracted conflict.

Buy together to produce faster

The Swedish Defense Minister, Pål Jonson, has stressed that the added value of the agreement does not reside only in the number of systems that will arrive in Ukraine, but in the chosen model. By opening up the financing of Swedish production to other countries, the aim is to:

In other words, Sweden and Denmark not only send weapons, but rather build a more robust supply chainsomething that has become one of NATO’s great challenges since the start of the war. Experience has shown that national arsenals are emptied quickly, while industry is slow to adapt to the pace of a high-intensity conflict.

For Denmark, which is now joining the initiative with a significant investment, The moment could not be more critical. Its Defense Minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, has insisted that Russian attacks are hitting Ukrainian civilian infrastructure especially hard, making air defense a top priority.

An old system… but lethally updated

The Tridon Mk2 is a good example of how classic technology can be reinvented. The heart of the system is the 40 mm Bofors cannon, a legendary piece that has been in service for more than 90 years in different versions, now deeply modernized.

Mounted on a Scania all-terrain truck – although adaptable to other platforms, including tracks -, the system combines mobility, firepower and modern sensors. It is prepared for:

The systems destined for Ukraine do not arrive “bare”. They include Saab Giraffe 1-X radars, fire control systems, spare parts and a large arsenal of advanced ammunition, including the 3P programmable ammunition, capable of adapting to the type of target in mid-flight.

More than a donation, a complete battalion

In financial and military terms, the effort is considerable. YesSweden has already funded the Tridon system within its 18th, 19th and 20th military aid packages, with a total value of about 2.1 billion Swedish crowns. Denmark is now adding nearly 480 million more crowns, enough to equip an entire anti-aircraft battalion.

The first deliveries are scheduled for the next 12 months, although Stockholm has made it clear that it could accelerate additional orders if other countries join the initiative. The message is clear: whoever wants to help has a project ready to expand.

For Ukraine, the impact will be twofold. On the front, the Tridon Mk2 will reinforce the response capacity against massive attacks with drones and missiles. In the rear, they will help protect power plants, cities and civilians, just when the Russian air war once again points to internal attrition.

For NATO, the Nordic agreement is another sign that the war in Ukraine is no longer managed as a one-time crisis, but as a structural conflict that requires industrial cooperationlong-term planning and new forms of coordinated military support.