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April 22, 2000
   
Sweden's parliament has approved the plan to radically cut the armed forces. The Army will disband 7 of its 13 brigades. Wartime mobilization structure will be 200,000 instead of the 700,000 that could have been raised a decade ago. Of the six remaining brigades, two will defend the country while the other four will be available (on rotation) for rapid reaction missions under the EU. The defense budget will be cut 10%, half of the military bases will be closed, and dozens of coastal artillery positions will be scrapped.--Stephen V Cole