The sea means everything to Sweden's security and prosperity – but we talk about it surprisingly little. In the video
and the accompanying podcast tells Commander Lars Wedin about his new book The Sea and Its Strategy,
where he shows in an accessible way why a holistic maritime view is crucial for Sweden as a coastal
and trading nation. The book can be ordered via the Royal Academy of Military Sciences' bookstore at
academy's website. https://kkrva.se/bookstore/produkt/lars-wedin-havet-och-dess-strategi/

The ocean is not “just a mass of water”, but a physical, biological, economic, legal and strategic
systems that permeate our security, our trade and our climate. In The Sea and Its Strategy explains
Commander Lars Wedin – with short, clear sentences and few technical terms – why Sweden must think
as a maritime nation in practice, not just on the map. [2][1]
The starting point is simple: around 95 percent of world trade goes by sea and almost all global
data communication runs through submarine cables. For an export-dependent country like Sweden, it is
shipping, maritime infrastructure and free transport routes are not a technicality, but fundamental
national interests. Wedin shows how the ocean mitigates climate change, provides the world with food,
energy and critical raw materials – and at the same time become an arena for hybrid warfare, sabotage and heightened
great power rivalry.
The book explains the difference between maritime and naval strategy, between sea control and sea denial,
and why these concepts must now be translated into concrete Swedish policy, doctrine and mobilization –
not least after our entry into NATO. This ties in with historical experiences from Swedish naval strategy,
the world wars and the Cold War together with today's challenges in the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and a rapid
changed the Arctic. The result is a guide for how Sweden can build sustainable naval capabilities, protect
critical infrastructure, support Baltic operations while strengthening maritime formation in
society.
The academy's website now presents a video-based conversation series with Lars Wedin about the book,
supplemented with a podcast version for those who want to listen and a written presentation PDF to download
down. You can therefore choose to watch the recorded video blog, listen to the conversation as a podcast, or take part
of the short press presentation – and then order The Sea and Its Strategy directly from the academy
bookstore!

Summary presentation 

Prezi presentation:

https://prezi.com/view/ISimc3UcOf3qAmrnVbmM/?referral_token=wXGz7plnB3FN

The Sea and Its Strategy is written for those who intuitively feel that the sea is important, but lack a
overall picture of why – and how this should affect Swedish security policy, defense planning and societal debate.

The book is “scientific without being profound”, deliberately designed to be
readable not only for naval experts but also for politicians, civil servants, journalists, teachers and
engaged citizens.

Based on the sea as a natural force, habitat and cultural phenomenon, Wedin describes how the maritime strategy
connects economics, ecology, law and military power. The reader gets an overview of the ocean
role in the climate, fishing, energy extraction, seabed minerals and the rapidly growing
the infrastructure of cables and platforms. This is then used as the basis for an analysis of how vulnerable our
modern society is prone to disruption – from piracy and sabotage to sophisticated
hybrid operations against underwater systems in, for example, the Baltic Sea.
A central theme is the difference between maritime strategy (everything related to the sea) and marine strategy (the
military part), as well as the Swedish peculiarity of having "two navies": The Swedish Armed Forces' naval combat forces
and the civil coast guard. Wedin discusses concepts such as maritime control and maritime denial, and
shows how these are translated into practical requirements: Sweden must be able to protect the merchant fleet, secure
transport to and from the Baltics and protect the sea-based infrastructure even in times of crisis and war.
The book also contains a “toolbox” of marine strategic methods, where sequential and
cumulative approaches, technological developments – including drones, submarine hunting, cyber and
electromagnetic domains – are inserted into a larger operational concept. A particular emphasis is placed on
Ukraine and the Black Sea, where the interplay between maritime law, grain supplies, blockades and long-range
weapons systems illustrate how maritime strategy today ranges from nuclear deterrence to local
maritime security.

For Sweden, Wedin points out how historical decisions – such as the central defense principle – have influenced our
strategic culture, often to the detriment of a clear maritime holistic view. In light of NATO membership
He argues that Sweden must now develop well-thought-out naval doctrines, dismantle bureaucratic
between civilian and military actors and build a sustainable, offensive but at the same time responsible
naval strategy.

The sections on law and the law of the sea highlight how weakly anchored the law of the sea often is, both in Swedish debate
and practical application, and how this complicates the handling of grey zone and hybrid incidents at sea.
Using examples from the Baltic Sea, the South China Sea and the Arctic, Wedin shows how great powers use
legal gray areas, military “coast guards” and historical maps to advance positions – and
why smaller states must have both legal competence and concrete maritime capability to assert their
rights.

Finally, the book formulates a number of recommendations for Sweden as a maritime nation: strengthened
maritime literacy in schools, increased understanding of the role of the sea in the economy, investments in maritime security and

critical infrastructure, deeper NATO integration and a clearer focus on the Baltic Sea and the Arctic
changed strategic importance. In the video and podcast now published via the academy's website
Lars Wedin develops these arguments in conversational form, with concrete examples, historical insights
and reflections from a long professional life in naval strategy.

The book The Sea and Its Strategy can be ordered directly via the Royal Swedish Academy of Military Sciences' bookstore.
online, where more information is available about the edition and how it can be combined with the academy's
other publications. The video, podcast recording and written version can be accessed on the same page.
the press presentation – three complementary paths into a book that wants to make the sea understandable, the strategy
concrete and the maritime dimension impossible to ignore.