The defense: Unprecedented exercise – Aftonbladet

The defense: Unprecedented exercise – Aftonbladet

Stockholm. The type of the Russian exercise that took place in the last week of the Baltic Sea has not been seen since the Cold War.

This applies in particular the element of strategic bombers.

Several bombers of type TU-95 flew out of the Gulf and out over the southern Baltic Sea for four days straight.

– We have not seen before, says the Armed Forces mission director Göran Mårtensson.

The exercise was also attended by other bombers and fighter aircraft and marine forces under the Armed Forces.

Could collided

If the plan was armed or what they practiced against in terms of goals or country wants Mårtensson not say.

Armed Forces reported on Thursday also closer to the incident last Friday when a Russian signal reconnaissance planes flew, but turned transponders in the direction of a civil SAS chartered plane lift from Kastrup. Unless the Armed Forces had warned air traffic in Malmö, so that civil plane could change altitude and course, they could almost have collided.

Mårtensson says that the Armed Forces have a good overview of aviation in the immediate area and discovers risks timely and alerts.

The Armed Forces do not want to tell me what you think the implications of that Russian planes can fly but turned transponders, or if such incidents have become more common.

– We see it happening, says Mårtensson.

Odd language

Defence Committee chairman Allan Widman (FP) now represents also a written question to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Margot Wallström (S) on whether Sweden will take any action since Russia’s ambassador to Denmark suggested that the Swedes smoke too much weed. Ambassador Mikhail Vanin accused yesterday Swedes to often visit Christiania. It was a comment to Sweden’s claims of a submarine in Swedish waters and the incident with signals intelligence plane. “As an example of diplomatic language appears statement as odd. The impression is that Russia wants to nurture its relations with Sweden,” writes Widman.

The defense announced Tuesday that it will need considerably more money – billions annually – than promised if we are to live up to the politicians’ hopes.