The planned closure of the Swedish Defence and Security Export Agency (FXM) is expected to trigger a major overhaul of the country’s arms export rules and infrastructure.
Operating as a division of the Defense Ministry, FXM’s primary defense industry export promotion role came under the spotlight during government formation negotiations between the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Green Party, following parliamentary elections held on Sept. 14.
FXM’s fate was sealed when the Greens questioned the need for a state arms export promotion agency and pushed for tougher rules governing international defense sales and a reform of arms export rules in 2015-16.
“This decision will not harm our efforts to sell Gripen to Brazil or Slovakia, but it will hopefully lead to a tightening in weapons export rules, especially to undemocratic states,” said Maria Ferm, the Green Party’s Group Leader in Parliament.
Read more: Defense News