The reason is Russia’s war policy
Northern Europeans unite their air forces
03/24/2023, 7:16 p.m
In the face of Russian aggression, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland are reorganizing their air forces. The respective armed forces are to be more closely interlinked. Airspace surveillance is also to be merged. This brings strategic advantages.
Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark have announced plans for a combined Nordic air force against a threat from Russia. A corresponding declaration of intent was signed last week at the Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany in the presence of high-ranking US military personnel, they said. They want to act according to existing NATO guidelines in the future.
The interlocking of the air forces was triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, said the commander of the Danish air force, Jan Dam. The aim is to be able to work together seamlessly on the basis of a Nordic concept for joint air operations based on NATO standards, Bloomberg quotes a representative of the Danish Air Force as saying.
Including ordered machines, Norway can muster 57 F-16 and 52 F-35 fighter jets, Finland 62 F/A-18 and 64 F-35, Denmark 58 F-16 and 27 F-35, Sweden 90 Gripen. It is initially unclear how many of the machines are actually ready for use. The F-35s ordered in the USA are also intended to replace part of the existing fleet. For comparison: According to the German Air Force, it has 138 Eurofighters and 85 Tornados. The latter are to be partially replaced by F-35s in the coming years.
According to Dam, air surveillance should also be adjusted so that all four states have access to the respective radar data. This is currently not the case. A Russian statement was initially not available. Sweden and Finland have applied for NATO membership. However, Turkey and Hungary have not yet ratified the accession.