Nordic Compass Defence Statement

Ericsson, Kongsberg, Nokia, Patria, Saab and Terma are joining forces to help build Nordic defence capabilities: faster, across borders and with security of supply.

The Nordics must act together

Europe faces its most serious security situation in decades. Threats now reach every domain, from the seabed to space, and hybrid attacks increasingly target the foundations of our societies. The risk of military conflict in our neighbourhood can no longer be treated as remote.

The Nordic countries have responded. All five are now NATO Allies, and all are significantly increasing their investment in defence and resilience. But increased budgets alone are not enough: funding must become capability – fielded fast, produced at scale, interoperable across borders and backed by security of supply.

Security and competitiveness go hand in hand. A more integrated Nordic defence market makes the region safer, becomes an economic driver which attracts additional investments, creates new jobs and motivates future Nordic innovation.

No Nordic country can meet these threats alone.

Our territories, waters and airspace form one strategic space, yet our defence systems, networks and acquisition remain divided along national lines. Combining skills, innovation and production capabilities, Nordic governments and industry can – together – counter the threats directed towards our homes and the wider European region. That is why we have joined the Nordic Compass Defence Track.

In this phase of our joint work, we have decided to focus on four specific initiatives.

Four initiatives

Space: federated Nordic space defence capabilities.

The Nordic region can strengthen European security by building and linking sovereign space-based capabilities together. No Nordic country alone can field persistent satellite coverage for Arctic intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) or space-based missile early warning. We propose to strengthen and develop a space-based joint Nordic missile warning system, enhanced Arctic (ISR), and secure, resilient communications linking national assets with terrestrial and tactical networks – combining sovereign national assets to share awareness, data and tasking.

Maritime and Subsea: protecting critical maritime infrastructure.

Nordic cables, pipelines, ports and offshore infrastructure are increasingly exposed to sabotage and hybrid threats, while monitoring and response are split across owners, authorities and borders, and sensor data cannot be shared swiftly between them without trusted, interoperable connectivity and shared accreditation rules. We propose to develop a shared Nordic maritime picture above and below the surface, starting with critical offshore assets, ports and their logistics and supply chains.

Connectivity: a borderless Nordic digital backbone. 

Whether investments into cutting-edge defence systems become real capabilities depends on the advanced connectivity tying them together. We envisage a secure, trusted digital backbone – multi-layer, multi-carrier, with 3GPP standards and satellite communications as critical parts – extending from civilian infrastructure and military installations to the tactical edge that will enable Nordic and Allied forces to integrate and operate as one, across borders. It will enable military mobility, integrated air and missile defence, and counter-drone protection of critical infrastructure. We propose to develop a common architecture, build connectivity into platforms and acquisition from the start and make the Nordics a spearhead for NATO Multi-Domain Operations and the EU's military mobility agenda. 

A new Nordic defence industry model. 

Today, requirements, certification and procurement run in five separate national chains, and industry has no joint demand signal to invest against. To deliver with the urgency the situation demands, faster and at lower cost, we need to develop one end-to-end Nordic acquisition chain in which what is tested, certified or bought in one country is valid across all participating Nordic countries, with national decision rights intact, so that new capability reaches users in months, not years. We propose four first steps: a rapid-prototyping defence innovation environment backed by a buyers' club, mutual recognition of certification, a joint Nordic capability roadmap, and a pilot framework contract that pays for production capacity.

Our commitment and our invitation

As industry, we are ready to do our part. Our senior leaders and technical experts are committed to pursuing these initiatives in full compliance with competition rules and for the benefit of the wider Nordic ecosystem, including small and medium-sized enterprises, with every initiative designed to complement and contribute to NATO and the EU security efforts.

We invite the governments of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden – in particular their defence authorities and defence forces - to join us in developing these initiatives. Together we can make the Nordic region safer, more resilient and more competitive – and a stronger contributor to European and Allied security.

Ericsson · Kongsberg · Nokia · Patria · Saab · Terma

Per Narvinger, President and CEO, Ericsson

“In today’s geopolitical environment, unity of effort among the Nordic countries are fundamental. We have the combined expertise to strengthen our nations through technologies such as 5G/6G and AI that can create value across many fields. Defence is one such area, with applications ranging from secure and trusted communications to sensing.” 

Eirik Lie, CEO, Kongsberg

“In an increasingly complex security environment, the Nordic region’s strength lies in its ability to combine technological excellence, industrial capacity and trusted partnerships. Nordic Compass provides a platform to turn that potential into tangible outcomes and real capabilities, to strengthen regional security and defence across borders.”  

Mikko Hautala, Chief Geopolitical & Government Relations Officer, and Chairman, Nokia Defence

“The Nordics have a unique opportunity to turn close cooperation into real operational advantage. Increasingly, that depends on the digital infrastructure connecting modern defence capabilities. A trusted, resilient connectivity backbone can help military forces share information, integrate new technologies and operate seamlessly across borders, creating a model for interoperable defence that can scale across Europe and NATO.” 

Panu Routila, President and CEO, Patria

“Our defence forces need capabilities faster, and closer Nordic cooperation must help deliver them. The Nordic countries spend at record levels and co-operate more than ever, yet still run five separate, somewhat differently implemented, defence acquisition chains. Patria is leading the work on a new Nordic defence industry model to support easier cooperation from development and procurement through to sustainment, with the needs of our defence forces at its core.”  

Micael Johansson, President and CEO, Saab Group

“Together, the Nordic countries can move faster, strengthen resilience and build defence capabilities that are greater than the sum of their parts. Saab is committed to helping turn this ambition into concrete outcomes that enhance Nordic, European and Allied security.”  

Henriette Hallberg Thygesen, President and CEO, Terma 

“The Nordic countries have trust, technologies, and industrial capabilities to achieve much more together. We need a more coordinated Nordic approach to develop, procure, and sustain defence capabilities, with clearer shared priorities that give industry the confidence to invest earlier in technology and production capacity. Terma is committed to advancing this work with Nordic defence industry partners, and we invite governments to join us. Success will be measured by how quickly we deliver the capabilities and security of supply our armed forces need and by our contribution to Nordic, European and Allied security.”