The New York National Guard and the Swedish military have embarked on a new collaboration under the U.S. State Partnership Program (SPP), aimed at enhancing interoperability and mutual learning. The partnership, established last year, saw a significant step forward as a Swedish delegation visited New York National Guard headquarters in Latham, N.Y., from February 27-28, 2025.
The visit coincided with a major operational challenge for the New York National Guard: deploying 6,500 Guard members to replace striking corrections officers across 38 state prisons. Despite the demanding mission, the Swedish delegation was able to observe the New York Guard’s crisis management and planning processes firsthand.
Seventeen Swedish officers and three civilians participated in the engagement, attending daily commander’s briefings led by Maj. Gen. Ray Shields, the adjutant general of New York. Swedish Maj. Gen. Johan Pekkari, chief of the Swedish Defence Staff’s strategy unit, praised the professionalism and efficiency of the New York Guard’s operations.
“I’ve seen what you have done here as part of the prison operation yesterday and visited the MQ-9s in Syracuse, and that was impressive,” Pekkari said, referring to a visit to the New York Air National Guard’s 174th Attack Wing, which operates MQ-9 Reaper drones.
The Swedish delegation also engaged in detailed planning sessions with New York Guard leaders to outline joint training and exercises through 2027. New York Army National Guard Maj. Melanie Padilla, the SPP director, emphasized the importance of these engagements.
“The SPP engagements foster cooperation between the New York National Guard and Sweden, allowing our organizations to strengthen interoperability and learn from each other,” Padilla said.
The partnership includes a wide range of planned activities:
- Engineer Training: Swedish Army observers will participate in a river crossing exercise with New York’s 152nd Brigade Engineer Battalion and 204th Engineer Battalion this summer.
- Port Security Exercises: Swedish naval personnel will join the New York Naval Militia, U.S. Coast Guard, and New York City police and fire units for a port security exercise in New York Harbor later this year. The New York Naval Militia will also participate in a similar exercise in Sweden.
- Air Operations: The New York Air National Guard’s 152nd Air Operations Group will host Swedish Air Force leaders during U.S. exercises and travel to Sweden for joint training. The 274th Air Support Operations Squadron will also conduct close air support training with Swedish counterparts.
- Search and Rescue: The 106th Rescue Wing, based on Long Island, will collaborate with Swedish forces on search and rescue exercises.
- Large-Scale Exercises: By 2027, the partnership will expand to include up to 1,000 personnel from the New York Army National Guard’s 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 369th Sustainment Brigade, and 42nd Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade.
The collaboration underscores the growing strategic relationship between the New York National Guard and Sweden, with both sides committed to enhancing their capabilities and readiness through shared training and expertise.
“It’s important for us to know the development between Sweden and the New York National Guard,” Shields said. “We’re super happy you’re here. I did not want to postpone or cancel, because it’s just too important to us.”
As the partnership continues to evolve, it promises to strengthen both nations’ military capabilities while fostering a deeper understanding of each other’s operational methods and challenges.
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