While Maintaining Its Neutrality, Sweden Is Growing Its Air Force and Pursuing Greater Interoperability with the US
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While maintaining its neutrality, Sweden is growing its air force and pursuing greater interoperability with the US. By John A. Tirpak, Editorial Director A Saab Gripen takes off during an exercise. Swedish Armed Forces photo by Louise Levin 54 FEBRUARY 2017 H WWW.AIRFORCEMAG.COM fter the Cold War ended, Such tensions, coupled with new of air defense capabilities; more anti- neutral Sweden relaxed its competition in the Arctic for resources submarine warfare capacity; increased military posture, reduced and sea routes, has put Sweden in the investment in recruiting and sustaining its defense spending, con- thick of things, he said. “The strategic troops; and a modernized civil defense Aducted fewer exercises, and focused on importance of our area of interest—our and “active” cyber defense. domestic issues, anticipating a period neighborhood—is increasing.” The bill approved further investment of security calm. But as Russia flexes Along with the European refugee in the JAS-39 Gripen indigenous family its military muscles—having annexed crisis—hitting Sweden with a wave of of fighters and equipping it with the mul- Crimea, invaded Georgia and Ukraine, unexpected immigrants—and terrorist tinational Meteor beyond-visual-range and taken a highly aggressive posture bombings around Europe, the time was radar guided missile. toward its other European neighbors— ripe for Sweden to step up its secu- The bill specifically ruled out making Sweden is moving quickly to heighten rity posture. In 2015, a parliamentary a judgment about whether Sweden’s its readiness and ability to deter a white paper called for an increase in neutrality continues to make sense, but war—or fight one. operational capability of the Swedish called for an independent report gauging Its principal military instrument is military, Helmrich said. the value of Sweden’s military relation- its air force. ships with other countries, organizations, This is “the new operational envi- NEW CANDOR and alliances, such as the European ronment,” said Col. Lars Helmrich, “I can hardly remember when it was Union, NATO, and “the transatlantic Skaraborg wing commander for the so … clearly stated” by the Swedish link” with the US. Flygvapnet (Swedish air force) in an government that the country’s military Swedish press outlets in September interview at F7 air base last year. Helm- should boost its readiness, Helmrich said the resulting report found that while rich, who was designated to speak on said. According to him, the paper stated NATO membership would add to Swe- behalf of the Swedish air force to Air that while Sweden is neutral, “the new den’s deterrence, so would strengthened Force Magazine, is a 26-year Flygvap- security policy doctrine is that we don’t ties with Finland, another nonaligned net veteran. He has held an array of believe that we will fight alone; we country. Though she would not com- operational, staff, materiel, and policy will fight together with others.” While ment on the report directly, Sweden’s jobs and attended the US Air Force Air the “national” focus of the new policy foreign minister, Margot E. Wallström, War College and participated in a Red is pre-eminent, the “interoperability told journalists, “The answer is not Flag exercise. He said Sweden believes aspect is still as important,” he said. Swedish NATO membership. Freedom Russia will make good on its plan “to Since the end of the Cold War, he said, from military alliances serves us well have 70 percent of their [military] national defense was not prioritized, and contributes to stability and security materiel modernized” by 2020. and that had consequences. “Everything in Northern Europe.” She also said Stockholm has watched with grow- from the base system to the personnel Sweden’s security policy should be ing concern as Russia made aggressive system—everything needs to be refo- “long-term, stable, and protected from moves and cyber attacks on Baltic na- cused now,” Helmrich said. sharp fluctuations.” tions in recent years. A March 2013 The white paper—called the “Swed- NATO Secretary General Jens Stol- incident galvanized public opinion to ish Defense Bill, 2016-2020”—set a tenberg said at the alliance’s meeting strengthen the military when Russian plan to “successively increase the de- in Warsaw, Poland, last summer that he Tu-23M3 Backfire bombers and Su-27 fense spending over the next five years knows better than to encourage Sweden Flanker fighters staged an unannounced with an 11 percent increase,” or 2.2 to join the group, saying it would not mock nuclear attack toward Stockholm percent per year, a government website be taken kindly and that Sweden must and other presumed targets in southern stated. The bill was described as being make its choice internally. Sweden. based on “broad political agreement” Last June, US Defense Secretary Russia’s recent buzzing of US and between Sweden’s five main political Ashton B. Carter and Sweden’s Defense NATO ships is mirrored by similarly parties and was developed “in light of Minister Peter Hultqvist signed a non- dangerous incidents with the Swed- the developments in Russia and specifi- binding statement of intent on military ish military, where surveillance and cally the Russian aggression towards cooperation. It called for increased signals intelligence aircraft have been Ukraine.” interoperability between the countries, intercepted over international waters Summed up, the bill called for less more numerous joint training and exer- by Russian jets that sometimes fly theoretical planning and more specific cises, more cooperation on armaments, just a few feet away. Russian military planning for real-world scenarios; re- research and development, and “meeting aircraft frequently fly over the Baltic newed investment in infrastructure and common challenges in multinational Sea without transponders that identify basic equipment (such as trucks); the cre- operations.” them and demonstrate other “provoca- ation of a new mechanized battalion; re- Saab, maker of the Gripen, is part- tive behaviors,” Helmrich said. establishment of a military presence on nered with Boeing to offer a candidate Moreover, “even though they have Sweden’s Baltic Sea island of Gotland; for the US Air Force’s T-X competition. economic problems,” Helmrich said more armored vehicles, bridging gear, Sweden, too, has a 50-year-old trainer— of Russia, “they still prioritize their self-propelled artillery, and anti-tank the Saab 105—and needs to replace military buildup.” weapons; two new corvettes; expansion it soon. The Erieye airborne warning FEBRUARY 2017 H WWW.AIRFORCEMAG.COM 55 Swedish Armed Forces photo by Louise Levin Swedish air force maintainers refuel and rearm a JAS-39 Gripen. The fighter is certified to carry many US munitions, and Sweden is seeking certification for more. Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW), Joint defensive counterair or reconnaissance Air-to-Surface-Standoff Missile, Mav- missions with the Gripen. erick air-to-surface missile, Miniature USAF Lt. Gen. Ralph J. Jodice II, who Air Launched Decoy, Paveway laser ran the air portion of the Libya opera- guided bombs, and both the Litening tion for NATO, said at the time he was plane will also need replacement in the and Sniper targeting pods. greatly impressed with the product from coming years. Sweden has been heavily involved the Swedish recce pods. It is a capability There’s already a good deal of part- with international military operations in USAF has long since ceded to remotely nership between the US and Sweden, the last two decades, participating in 12 piloted aircraft. Helmrich said the capa- particularly its air force. The Flygvapnet over the last five years alone, Helmrich bility Sweden deployed was not just the flies American C-130H transports, is a said. It participated in peacekeeping in tools to collect imagery but included the partner in the multinational C-17 Heavy Kosovo, has flown resupply missions in experts needed to interpret it. Airlift Wing based in Hungary, and Afghanistan—both in Enduring Free- The Flygvapnet has adopted a new the Gripen uses a variant of the Gen- dom and Resolute Support—rescue slogan in light of the 2015 defense eral Electric F404 engine flown on the missions in Chad and Mali, maritime bill, Helmrich said. “We want to be a American F/A-18 fighter. The Gripen is missions in the Gulf of Aden, partici- reliable partner, … a credible air force, either certified or being certified to carry pates in the NATO Response Force, and and deliver security in the Baltic area.” a wide array of US munitions, including flew combat in the 2011 air campaign to Though NATO nations take turns air-to-air missiles, the Small Diameter oust Muammar Qaddafi from power in performing Baltic air policing, Sweden Bomb, Joint Direct Attack Munition, Libya. In that conflict, Sweden flew 580 performs the mission for its own national Swedish soldiers gather their weapons and equipment on the flight line on Gotland, a Baltic Sea island, during an exercise in 2015. Sweden is re-establishing a military presence there. Swedish Armed Forces photo by Mats Nyström 56 FEBRUARY 2017 H WWW.AIRFORCEMAG.COM purposes, and closer to Russia than the Helmrich said some old defensive contract basis.” The rough breakdown NATO jets fly. measures are being revived in Sweden. is 900 officers, 1,400 noncommissioned “We are not provocative” with the During the Cold War, Sweden routinely officers, and 900 airmen. patrols, Helmrich asserted. “The aim is operated its fighters from hundreds of Helmrich boasted that “there’s about to be a stabilizing force, not to provoke roads and highways that were built 20 personnel per platform.” Compared incidents.” Sweden flies around-the- straight and wide enough to serve as with other air forces, “we are very clock surveillance and signals intelli- runways, so that if its air bases were personnel-effective—very efficient.” gence missions with its Erieye airborne destroyed, the Flygvapnet could continue Pilots typically get between 120 and warning and control system-type aircraft to operate.