The addition of Sweden and Finland to NATO is changing the security landscape in the region, according to the military alliance’s command.
The United States is considering establishing a large weapons depot in the Nordic countries following Finland and Sweden’s recent accession to NATO, Lt. Gen. Christopher Mohan, the deputy commanding general of the US Army Materiel Command has said in an interview with Breaking Defense.
The two countries applied to the US-led alliance in May 2022, citing the Ukraine conflict as a threat to their security. Finland was admitted quickly, but Sweden’s bid was delayed by disagreements with Turkey and then Hungary.
While Mohan did not disclose possible new site locations, he noted that the military alliance was taking a look at the issue of what equipment and locations are best for the high north and Arctic.
“The addition of the NATO partners changes the security landscape and our responsibilities as part of NATO,” the general told the media on the sidelines of the annual Association of the US Army’s Global Force symposium on Friday.
Norway could become a possible storage location for NATO weaponry, according to US Maj. Gen. Ronald Ragin, as cited by the media.
NATO has two Army Prepositioned Stock (APS) sites in Germany and spots in the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium and Italy, Breaking Defense reported. It is seeking more locations “especially in the high north,” as tensions over Ukraine mount, now that Finland and Sweden are part of the organization, according to the outlet.
According to Mohan, US European Command head Gen. Christopher Cavoli is spearheading the changes and crafting a plan that will “embrace and integrate Finland and Sweden into the NATO enterprise, and that’s going to drive some changes on the ground.”