Gränsjägarbataljonen practices defense of a border crossing in Övertorneå

The Gränsjägarbataljonen, also called the 11th Home Guard Battalion, is currently carrying out its war unit exercise, KFÖ - a mandatory exercise for all who are involved in the unit.

On Thursday, parts of the exercise were moved to central Övertorneå and the bridge over to Finland. One of the steps was to search the bridge with service dogs, to check that no simulated explosive charges had been placed.

- This is one of the most important areas in Sweden to defend, says battalion commander L-G Lundström.

New strategic thinking after NATO entry

The Swedish defense concept has fundamentally changed in recent years. In the past, the military often planned to blow up their own bridges to prevent and delay an advancing enemy.

Since joining NATO, the doctrine has been the opposite – now bridges and transport routes must instead be protected at all costs in order for the logistics within the alliance to function.

For the soldiers on the ground, the new cooperation across the border means both new tasks and new colleagues.

- Since we joined NATO, we have joint exercises with Finland, so it is completely new for us, says Fredrik Kaarle, who is the battalion's group leader.

Through this week's intensive exercise in the border country, the Home Guard shows that they are ready to solve their tasks in a new security political reality, where the bridge in Övertorneå no longer just connects two municipalities - but two allied countries.