Why preparing for war is important for peace

An end to the war in Ukraine is not yet in sight and experts worldwide are cautious with any forecasts, 部分原因是俄罗斯在战争头12个月的战略引发了许多问题，直到今天仍在继续. For example, why has it not yet made military use of its airspace superiority? Is it the inability to act as a unit or are there other considerations behind it? "If you take a look at the past, it is very surprising. 空气 power was already very important in the Second World War, for example in Normandy. Likewise in the Iraq war, when the USA gained airspace control within a few hours and subsequently won all of the attacks," explains Frederik Hassel. 已经很明显的是，俄罗斯在未来将是一个不同的敌人，西方必须做好准备:“在冷战之前, Russia was a superpower. After the Cold War, Russia was very strong, at least regionally, and it also had an enormous arsenal of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Now Russia is becoming a rogue state with WMD and cyber capabilities."

Whether Russia or Ukraine wins the war depends, in any case, on the parameters that are defined for it. "Russia is already said to be selling maps with new national borders. This could indicate that Vladimir Putin is concerned about the currently occupied territories." Experts like Fredrik Hassel believe that a conquest of the entirety of Ukraine is unrealistic. 然而, permanent occupation of a territory is conceivable, albeit at a very high price, namely a large number of victims. 从长远来看，只有时间才能证明乌克兰是否能够对抗俄罗斯，国际支持者的支持将继续对乌克兰至关重要.

Could war strengthen 北约和 the EU?

The West was surprised by Russia's war of aggression. “This is despite the fact that Eastern European countries had warned of Putin's brutality and ruthlessness. Countries like Germany, 法国, Sweden, Denmark and even Spain ignored these signals. 他们认为将俄罗斯融入我们西方的社会模式是可能的，直到最后一刻," explains Hassel. 2014年，俄罗斯对克里米亚的吞并已经让一些国家的主权和领土完整受到质疑. With the escalation of the conflict in 2022, 现在有人担心，如果国际社会不能相应地保护国家，并向侵略者发出明确的信号，欧洲或世界其他地区可能会出现类似的冲突.

It is only together that the USA, 北约和 the EU have been able to increase the pressure on Russia in recent months. The importance of alliances is therefore increasing. The war has resulted in hitherto non-existent military cooperation on an international level, and a strengthening of NATO. 芬兰和瑞典都申请加入北约，德国也大幅增加了军备预算. "With 芬兰 as a direct neighbour and Sweden as an ideal logistics base, 北约有了全新的机会，能够真正保护和捍卫传统意义上的波罗的海国家." This is a development that Vladimir Putin must not have anticipated.

Without the supply of weapons and ammunition from the EU, USA and NATO member states, things would probably look different in Ukraine today. "It is sad, but true. 显然, it took a war to wake Europe up and strengthen the international community," says Fredrik Hassel, Senior Public Affairs Advisor at Saab. 欧盟正再次意识到共同外交政策的重要性，它不能忽视防务和军备政策. 欧洲议会成员呼吁欧盟使用《亚洲体育博彩平台》的条款，允许欧洲理事会以特定多数而不是一致通过的方式做出某些决定，而不会产生军事后果, especially decisions relating to sanctions and human rights. Furthermore, 欧盟各机构已被邀请就如何实现和确保欧盟在所有多边论坛中的常任席位提出建议, including the UN 安全 Council.

Defence does not work without weapons

北约尤其面临着一项复杂的任务，即说服其成员国在未来几年增加国防预算，以加强其军事能力. This is the only way to respond to threats and ensure credible deterrence. 事实上, by declaration, NATO member states must be able to defend not only themselves but also others. Achieving this goal could be a challenge, Hassel says, 因为, 毕竟, 到目前为止，重点更多地放在了研发上:“我们目前在一些领域看到了瓶颈. The EU and NATO will have to discuss how to ensure production capability in the future, in peacetime, in order to be prepared for any conflicts in the truest sense of the word."

System compatibility must also be encouraged, he said. 乌克兰很好地证明了这一点，因为武器和弹药来自各种各样的国家和不同的制造商. "New types of cooperation that create links between countries and sectors are the future. And I am convinced that this will make us stronger.在十大正规博彩网站评级, 系统的多功能性和不断开发和适应系统的能力一直是开发的重要支柱. Despite the tragic war, Fredrik Hassel sees increasing dialogue and exchange within the industry as a positive development.

Speed plays a major role in every conflict. 在乌克兰的情况下，这是一个不同的观点，因为乌克兰人部分不知道所提供的武器系统，而且没有时间进行广泛的培训和教育. "I have great respect and appreciation for the fighters in Ukraine. 他们正在设法有效地使用和维护武器——其中一些是新的——他们在聪明的后勤方面产生了巨大的影响. Rarely has a people shown so much determination to defend themselves and their country, not even shying away from brutal attacks."

Unmanned drones and anti-tank weapons succeed

The battle in Ukraine is mainly fought with conventional weapons, but there are also cyberattacks from time to time. For the first time, unmanned vehicles and drones are being used to great success and on both sides. Cheap mini-drones have also become an important weapon in the war, despite their low strike power.

Anti-tank weapons, especially the Saab model NLAW (Next Generation Light Anti-Tank Weapon), have proved particularly effective in the Ukraine war. The British military, which has provided Ukraine with thousands of these weapons, has already placed a new major order for the NLAWs. Furthermore, 美国政府宣布打算向乌克兰交付GLSDB(地面发射的小直径炸弹). This system has been in development since 2014 and Saab is working on it together with Boeing. The system can be deployed in all weather conditions. The warhead has small, 可折叠的机翼可以让它从飞机上发射后飞行超过100公里(距离地面最多150公里)，可以击中直径小到一米的目标. 该系统可以使乌克兰能够打击以前无法触及的有价值的军事目标，并通过破坏俄罗斯的撤退地区，帮助乌克兰继续进行反击.

According to British intelligence, Saab weapons have been effective in the fight against Russia so far. Asked about this at the 21st Berlin 安全 Conference in late 2022, Saab CEO Micael Johansson says: "I'm not surprised to hear that. It is of course tragic that our weapons have to be used at all. But if there are situations where they are necessary, then they must also be effective and serve their purpose. Nothing less is our claim."

Ukraine as a role model?

Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the media has been silent about other trouble spots in the world, such as the simmering conflict between China and Taiwan, or the Middle East. Here, however, Ukraine could be a role model in many respects. Ukraine may be able to influence parties to the conflict and supporters. "For example, the USA expects support from Europe for its assistance in Ukraine, should there be an escalation with China," Hassel explains.

But he warns against comparing these conflicts too much, 因为: “Fighting Russia in Ukraine is very different from fighting China. Whereas in Ukraine the focus is on ground combat, in a potential escalation between China and Taiwan, the focus will be more on air and naval forces. 此外, China is a high-tech state and is possibly superior to the West in some areas when it comes to technology." Rather, the strength of the international community should be used to send a clear signal to China. "For Taiwan, at any rate, 乌克兰人民的反抗可以成为一个榜样，让它变得更加自信，比以前更加依赖盟友来威慑中国.哈塞尔不想依赖于中国是否也会从战争中吸取教训，并意识到通过军事力量接管一个国家并不那么容易, even if it seems stronger.

Peace does not come for free

目前的冲突使我们意识到，和平不是理所当然的，各国必须为可能发生的战争做好准备，以便能够保卫自己. The Ukraine war demonstrates that weak military defence provides an incentive for aggressors. For smaller and weaker states, 尤其重要的是，他们有足够的防御能力，能够保护自己免受可能的攻击. "Eastern European states are getting rid of all Soviet stocks, which they will have to replace with modern Western weapons in the coming years. And Russia will also realise that it no longer has its old strength, which led to victory over the Nazis in the Second World War. It will change its way of waging war and the West must also prepare for this," concludes Fredrik Hassel, Senior Public Affairs Advisor at Saab.

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