Proving Logistics in Practice: Nordic Way Services at DSM’s Total Defence Exercise
With Europe’s changing security landscape, strengthening Sweden’s total defence is becoming increasingly important. As nearly 90 percent of the country’s imports and exports are transported by sea, it is crucial to train and prepare logistics to ensure that transport can function in times of peace, crisis, heightened readiness, or war.
During Donsö Shipping Meet External link. , Nordic Way Services participated alongside several government agencies and the maritime industry in the largest total defence exercise since World War II. The Donsö exercise was carried out within the framework of BT POS (Transport Preparedness Sector – Private–Public Cooperation) and jointly financed by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) External link., the Swedish Armed Forces External link., shipping companies, cargo owners, and other stakeholders. The exercise included over 60 scenarios, testing elements such as vessel traffic management, pilotage, crewing, and insurance. One scenario involved 5,000 soldiers and 1,200 vehicles from Norway, which would transit through Sweden on their way to Finland.
“The Swedish Armed Forces lead the logistics of all operations. But when thousands of soldiers enter a community, the demand for food, accommodation, fuel, sanitation, and more increases drastically. Imagine a town of 10,000 inhabitants – and suddenly 5,000 soldiers with 1,200 vehicles arrive. The community simply isn’t equipped to support such volumes,” says Calle Ortner, COO at Nordic Way Services.
To manage this, a network of numerous actors – both governmental and private – must be able to act when needed. Nordic Way Services’ role is to coordinate a network of different suppliers to support the Swedish Armed Forces. ”You can compare it to an elastic band: when the need suddenly increases, we must quickly activate resources and ensure they are in place. The aim is to free up military capacity so it is not required for support services,” says Calle Ortner.
In the exercise, Nordic Way Services took responsibility for coordinating logistics for 1,500 soldiers and 400 vehicles, with the task of ensuring access to food, accommodation, fuel, and other essentials.
”For large-scale logistics – on land and at sea – the private sector must be involved. Through joint exercises, we build an understanding of civil-military conditions and establish collaborations that make coordination more efficient,” he continues.
Nordic Way Services also met with Minister for Infrastructure Andreas Carlson External link. to present the opportunities of logistics support provided by a civilian actor.
Calle Ortner togehter with the Minister for Infrastructure Andreas Carlson
“The exercise on Donsö shows that resilience is not only about military capability, but also about creating effective cooperation between the state and the business community. The private sector’s engagement in logistics and supply frees up resources and strengthens the entire Total Defence,” Ortner concludes.