Swedish Officials Ask Pentagon to Increase U.S. Naval Presence in Baltic Sea

[Tony]

Swedish officials are requesting a larger U.S. naval presence in the Baltic Sea as part of the ongoing diplomatic push for Sweden and Finland to join NATO, two defense officials told USNI News on Thursday.

The Swedish contingent now in Washington is asking to increase bilateral and multilateral exercises with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps and flow more ships into the Baltic, the two defense officials said.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist met in the Pentagon on Wednesday as the formal submission of Sweden and Finland’s membership to NATO occurred the same day in Brussels.