- Sweden has purchased a reconnaissance drone and one-way effector which operate in tandem as a recce-strike system
- Nordic Wing, a Danish drone builder, will deliver the Astero ISR platform and the Raptor 2 combat UAS
- Using common software, Astero will distribute target data to Raptor 2, which then engages them
Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration announced the acquisition of a recce-strike system comprising two types of uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) coupled by common software.
Danish fixed-wing drone developer Nordic Wing will deliver the Astero intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) UAV alongside Raptor 2 loitering munitions. In the field, Astero will find targets and distribute the data to its sister to engage the threats.
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The drones, which FMV has now purchased, include a number of operator stations in the form of laptops and radio equipment. The acquisition also includes simulators for training and practice, and specially manufactured workshop containers for first-line maintenance in the field.
Deliveries to FMV are planned for the second quarter of 2027.
Astero and Raptor 2
Both UAVs are hand-launched and share the same core airframe.
However, Astero acts as a master relay and spotter, allowing a single operator to command a wingman swarm of Raptor 2 effectors.
Astero can fly for up to four hours at a time and weighs 4.5 kilogrammes, and pre-flight set-up takes around three minutes.
Raptor 2 – the iteration with software dedicated to operating within a combined recce-strike system – has a flight endurance of three hours, weighs 5.2kg and can be set-up in about five minutes. The explosive container is designed to hold approximately 1,100g of plastic explosive such as C4. It features remote self-destruct and three-stage safety mechanisms.
New doctrine
The recce-strike capability will help to reduce the time it takes to engage a threat once it has been identified. Traditionally, militaries would capture target data and relay the information to commanders and request artillery or air support. Instead, this concept will close the gap.
In April 2024, the Swedish Defence Commission realised that combat actions beyond the frontline take place mainly through deep strikes with ballistic and cruise missiles, UAVs, and cyberattacks.
Sweden is not alone in this revelation. In November 2025, the US Special Operations Forces similarly identified that the absence of loitering munitions from training and fielding presents a “significant deficiency” in their capabilities.
Therefore, on 12 January 2026, the Swedish Ministry of Defence announced its decision to allocate Skr4bn ($423.1m) for the procurement of various drone capabilities, including reconnaissance and strike systems, to be delivered between 2026 and 2028.
Opportunity purchase model
This acquisition is carried out within the framework for “opportunity purchases.”
This model allows for quick, unplanned purchases the FMV can make at short notice when the market suddenly opens up for it.
This means that the FMV will purchase systems that are already operational with a high technology readiness level – such technology is already “fully developed, thoroughly tested and ready to be used or sold on the market”, the release detailed.
The aim is to be able to hand over the systems quickly and to allow forces to deploy equipment faster than the FMV does through conventional procurement routes. Sweden made its January drone purchase using these funds and spent $53m on ammunition earlier this month.
