The US military will only benefit if Sweden and Finland join NATO, top US military officials have said in recent days, reflecting the enthusiasm of many in the US and Europe about those countries joining the alliance.
I look forward to the accession of Sweden and Finland to the alliance. The head of the US Army in Europe told the Senate armed services committee that each of those militaries brings quite a bit of capability and capacity to the alliance.
The close partnerships that the US and its NATO allies have developed with the Swedish and Finnish armed forces is reflected in the complimentary statements made by leaders from across the US military.
The Finns and the Swedes are extraordinary in their ability to distribute assets and protect themselves in a way that is informative to us and at the same time generate combat power.
At a hearing on his nomination to lead US European Command and be Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, Cavoli said that Sweden and Finland's military capabilities and resources would ease their integration into the alliance.
Most Finns have military training and can expand the army very quickly.
Sweden has a smaller army but a growing army.
Spending increases have been approved by Sweden since Russia attacked Ukraine. Sweden has a reputation for producing high-quality weaponry, including advanced non-stealth jets and conventionally powered submarines.
It will be easy for us to integrate them. We've been integrating them in our large-scale exercises as well as our operations abroad for some years now.
The geography of Sweden and Finland would benefit NATO. The 1939-1940 Winter War was fought on the border between Russia and Finland, and the country has been an expert in defending it.
Russia has not put a lot of ground forces on that border because they thought they had a relationship with Finland.
The admission of Sweden and Finland would almost completely surround the Baltic Sea with alliance territory.
It will be beneficial for NATO to have that enclosure because Russia does not have it right now.
Both countries have islands in the Baltic. Gotland Island, to which Sweden has redeployed military forces, is sometimes referred to as the "unsinkable aircraft carrier".
Sweden's navy will bring an enormous amount of surface capability to us in the Baltic Sea. They have underwater capabilities that will help us as well.
The Navy Secretary said at the House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on May 18 that the US Navy trains with NATO ships in the Baltic and that Sweden and Finland would join the alliance.
del Toro said that he looked forward to the prospect of Sweden and Finland joining NATO.
Even though they worked closely with the alliance, Sweden and Finland remained outside for decades.
The public support for membership in both countries was boosted by the renewed attack on Ukraine in February, and officials from both countries submitted their applications on the same day.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said their bids were warmly welcome, and more than 80 US senators have expressed support for expediting approval of them, but support has not been uniform.
As the Biden administration signals it may maintain a larger force of 100,000 US troops in Europe, Republican Sen. Josh Hawley expressed concern about whether their admission could eventually lead the US to station more forces in Europe. They argued that their inclusion would bring more risks than benefits. Turkey objected to their membership because of security concerns.
As the alliance faces new and emerging threats, officials from Sweden and Finland emphasized that they would add to it.
In an interview in early May, the Swedish ambassador to the US pointed to Sweden's participation in NATO operations and intensifying military investment.
Pekka Haavisto, the foreign minister of Finland, said at an event Friday that his country has a long border with Russia but has always tried to maintain it as a peaceful one.
The whole of NATO is facing a new type of challenge from Russia, and it is not only about Finns. It is not only military challenges. It can be both. Haavisto said that it can be cyber influence.
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