Sweden allows NATO AWACS flights over Swedish air space

Translated from Swedish Language website:

Swedish government took the decision at its meeting on Wednesday.This state of SvD military and civilian sources familiar with the matter.The government’s decision, which has not yet been dispatched formally, means in practice ahead for NATO three. Armed Forces instructed to allow passages every other day during the period May 8 to 31 NATO planes will then fly between Norway and Poland through Swedish airspace.

NATO’s plan called AWACS, which stands for Airborne Warning & Control System. AWACS plan has systems to monitor air and sea territory at least 400 km away. Normally circles plan in an oval track during their searches, and can be in the air for eleven hours, without air refueling. The big four-engine aircraft is easily recognizable by a large circular radar antenna mounted as a disk above the fuselage.NATO’s fleet of AWACS planes have been following Russia’s aggression against Crimean mainly been deposited over Romania and the Black Sea to scout over Russia.

SvD saw one of these planes across the Baltic Sea to the base Siauliai in Lithuania on April 1.Then, ten’s air controllers on board to conduct an exercise in which the plane circled over the Gulf of Riga. But now it’s obviously the question of a more regular patrols east of Scandinavia.The Swedish government’s decision is unusual in several ways. On the government’s case list was facing Wednesday’s meeting, nothing about NATO but of “access to Swedish territory of Luxembourg military government aircraft.” NATO planes are namely registered in Luxembourg, although they are based in Geilenkirchen, Germany. It is therefore formally request from the Luxembourg government said yes to.

Normally, the government only permits the passage of foreign military plan for occasional overflights. Or it may be a foreign military planes flying in and out of a specific airport.This knowledge, this is the first time that this kind of condition for a whole series of passages. Still less has there been this kind of condition for AWACS. There is no objection to NATO’s tactical command levels at passages can also scout from Swedish airspace.AWACS plan is not the plan at any time. They are one of the few military resources, NATO owns and operates jointly (usually dressing in NATO national). The plan thus has a political significance.

Sweden is not a NATO and Swedish visitors have previously not been able to visit their base in Geilenkirchen. But as recently as March, the four Swedish MPs from both government and opposition base and informed of where to place business.The Swedish state can be seen as a sign that Sweden would like to support our immediate neighbors to the east as everyone is in the EU. It is also in Swedish interest to control the airspace over Russia improved by NATO surveillance.It is just over a year ago the Swedish air defense was surprised by Russian bombers on Good Friday. As late as Tuesday launched fighters from Sweden, Denmark and Poland against a Russian signals intelligence plane over the Baltic Sea.

There may therefore be a need for NATO to more efficiently on site, and from the air, able to lead their air forces. At the request of the Baltic NATO countries and Poland’ve got a number of enhancements added to the Baltic region.When the Crimea was occupied by Russia, NATO had only four fighters in the Baltics, and they were reinforced when the six planes from the United States. These ten U.S. F-15 aircraft in the Baltic States will be the first in May relieved of 16 fighters from four other NATO countries.


http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/rysk-ovning-mot-sverige-blev-en-vackarklocka_3479102.svd?sidan=6

Sweden wants cruise missiles 'for defence'

Tauras.

Defence Minister Karin Enström said the high-precision missiles would chiefly act as a deterrent to other countries that might be considering an attack on Sweden.“They would give new capabilities by offering a longer reach, but also the ability to fight targets that are further away,” she told Sveriges Radio (SR) on Thursday.

She said the move would “increase the effectiveness” of Sweden’s defence.The cruise missiles would be added to the next generation of Gripen jets, and would be able to cause severe damage to targets 1,000 kilometres away. Current cruise missiles can only travel half that distance. The new missiles can fly at low altitude, have GPS guidance, and can manoeuvre like an aircraft.

Gunnar Hult, a professor at Sweden's National Defence College, said that increasing the cruise missile fleet is primarily a psychological move.“This is nothing to be concerned about; Sweden wants to build the same capabilities that other countries have built. It’s more of a psychological thing,” he told The Local.

The Swedish Armed Forces pointed out that other countries in the wider Baltic area, including Finland and Russia, were investing in similar weapons.The new proposal flies in the face of comments from Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who said last year that cruise missiles would “never be relevant for Sweden. Our defence is a defence”.

Hult pointed out that Bildt’s comments were made long before Russia moved in on Ukraine.“There is a clear contradiction here. Before the Ukraine crisis, a move like this would have been perceived as quite aggressive. But after Russia’s behaviour, Sweden has obviously seen the need to stock up on the missiles,” he explained.Enström, meanwhile, claimed that Sweden had to keep up with the ever-changing face of world conflict.The proposal ruffled feathers with the Green Party (Miljöpartiet).“This is a 180-degree turn compared to their previous approach,” Peter Rådberg, the party’s defence policy spokesman, told the Svenska Dagbladet newspaper.

He explained that such weapons were “crazily expensive” and were not the kind of offensive weapons needed in a defence force.Hult argued that it was useless to define the guided missiles by their defensive or offensive properties.“It’s not just a defence thing. In fact, the perception that weapons are ‘defence or attack’ is old-fashioned,” Hult told The Local.“There is no static front these days. Modern Russian doctrines say that if war starts then they will strike at depth into any enemy territory.”

Green Party member Peter Rådberg added that the proposal had not yet reached the hands of the defence committee, and that he imagined it would only pass if the Alliance won the elections in September.

Czech Republic Signs New Lease Deal with Sweden's Defence and Security Export Agency for Saab JAS 39 Gripen Fighters

Saab JAS 39 Gripen  : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Saab-JAS-39_at_ILA_2010_05.jpg

Sweden's Defence and Security Export Agency said Wednesday the Czech Republic has approved an agreement to lease 14 Gripen fighter aircraft until at least 2026, opening the way to potential new maintenance contracts for the aircraft's manufacturer, Swedish defense group Saab AB.The Czech Republic first signed a contract in 2004 to lease 14 Gripen jets from Sweden for a ten-year period. The new 12-year contract, which will be finalized next month, also includes training and upgrades to the aircraft, the agency said. It didn't disclose the value of the deal.

Sweden, Hungary and Thailand also use the jet fighter, which Saab pitches as versatile and cost efficient compared with rival combat aircraft such as Dassault's Rafale and Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35. Brazil placed an order for 36 new Gripen jets late last year, and Switzerland will hold a referendum in May on whether to buy 22 of the fighters.