The handover ceremony was held at the Air Defence Regiment in Halmstad on 18 November. Credit: Stefan Bratt/ Swedish Armed Forces.

The US-made Patriot air defence missile systems has been delivered to the Swedish Armed Forces during a handover ceremony.

Dubbed ‘Air defence system 103 (LvS103)’, seeks to strengthen the air defence capability of Sweden.

With the acquisition of the Patriot system, the country now has a total of two types of missiles with three different launchers: a command post, a combined reconnaissance, and a fire control radar, alongside a repair unit and towing vehicles.

The Swedish air defence officials and several guests from the US Army and delivering industries attended the handover ceremony held at the Air Defence Regiment in Halmstad on 18 November.

Swedish Army chief Karl Engelbrektson said: “We have received a new capability for fighting ballistic missiles. The total effect of the LvS103 enhances our capability in a significant way.

“I will now be able to report to the defence minister that the system will obtain initial operational capability (IOC) at the turn of the year.”

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The Swedish Armed Forces will be capable of countering long-range missile and air attacks with the new LvS103.

Furthermore, the defence system is also claimed to fight ballistic missiles.

Sweden Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist said: “This is a powerful modernisation and upgrade of Swedish air defence and Swedish defence capability as a whole.

“The fact that we have ordered and received an advanced system such as Patriot within three years only, is remarkably well done by all parties.”

In April this year, Lockheed Martin delivered Sweden’s first Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptors.

These interceptors were part of an agreement formalised between the governments of Sweden and the US in August 2018.

In February 2018, the US State Department approved an estimated $3.2bn potential foreign military sale (FMS) of Patriot Configuration-3+ modernised fire units to Sweden.