Talking to a local media outlet, a Swedish Armed Forces officer said that Russian bombers practiced bombing runs to Sweden, Baltics states and Poland last week.
Nothing new then. Close encounters occur quite often and some of them have much media attention, as happened in March, April, and June.
The latest episode occurred in the morning of Oct. 28, when three escort planes and two Russian bombers flew in direction of the Swedish territory. The “package” was detected on the radar over the Gulf of Finland and for one hour they seemingly carried out attack runs against Poland, the Baltics – and the southern tip of Öland in Sweden.
“I think the purpose was to practice various types of attacks as well as highlight the Russian presence in the southern Baltic,” Anders Persson, acting flight tactical commander on the Swedish Armed Forces said in an interview with SVT.se.
“We are now seeing an increased activity of Russian strategic bombers in the area. Of course we have to follow developments and see what they’re going and what they are doing,” Persson said.
Two Gripen fighter jet were scrambled to keep a close eye on the Russian planes.
Even though Sweden is somehow used to such activity in the Baltic Sea area, the aggressive posture of the Russians makes the drills a bit annoying for the Swedish.
“The difference is that when we practice, we do it together with a nation, we do not practice on any target in any country without the country being involved in the exercise. The Russian behavior is far more aggressive in their exercises,” Anders Persson, comments.
Image credit: Alex Beltyukov
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I thought Sweden was neutral along with Switzerland? I think Switzerland better watch out next. ;)
neutrality only works if a nation honors all international laws, just because Russia has a supposed democratic government doesn’t mean the mentality of its leaders change.
Why don’t the Swedes use these opportunities to practice various types of attacks on Russian bombers?
No point just flying alongside them waving at the pilots in the other cockpit. That’s just a waste of fuel.
>Why don’t the Swedes use these opportunities to practice various types of attacks on Russian bombers?
Got no money to fly. The defense budget funnels its money into gender equality education and shuffling paper.
This is nothing at all. As long as Russia does not violate any foreign Airspace, but stays in Neutral airspace and not hinder any airliners or other civilian traffic, they can do what ever the hell they want to. No harm done.
And its not that simple to just engage in an Chase exercise without the other part being aware of this beforehand.
Such exercise require very hard and precise pre-flight planning! There are strict regulation how Close two jets can fly two each other. As always, flight safty first!
It is very, very rare that any country practice unannounced in another nation’s flight information region. You find yourself not pre-registered in another nation’s flight information region do you do it because you have a task that lösa.Detär very big difference between practicing in international airspace in-flight information region and to do it in another nation and thereto unannounced
You are very much mistaken here Peacmaker.
The Russian Strategic bomber fleet practice a lot, and out Norwegian Intel and AF has detected over 50 Russian Activity/exercise along Our Airspace. But its the same point i’m trying to explain to you folks. The Russians never cross the line, they always fly in neutral airspace.
It may be rare for you guys, but this is quite common up here. The Russians do these same exercises up at Cannada and US borders as well.
So does NATO vs other countries. Its a common way of doing these exercises, thats all.
The reason for this is that last week, Sweden offered to give political asylum to Pussy Riot!
A drunk Russian fighting an angry Swede, that’s something you don’t get to see everyday.