Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Denmark have decided to start operating a joint air defense of about 250 combat aircraft to deter Russia. The new Nordic air defense force will be of the same size as that of the UK or France.
The Air Force commanders of the respective countries, Major Generals Juha-Pekka Keränen, Jonas Wikman, Rolf Folland, and Jan Dam signed a joint declaration of intent in Ramstein in March.
During the last year, the Nordic air forces have further deepened their already established cooperation. The deepening of cooperation has been influenced by the changes in the Nordic security environment. The NATO Air Force Chief, General James B. Hecker, was also present at the event.
The declaration of intent strengthens the cooperation between the countries and creates the conditions for strengthening the air defense of the Nordic countries. The goal is seamless cooperation between the countries’ air forces and the ability to operate together in all situations. The Air Force jointly created a Nordic air operations concept as the basis for operations, based on which operations are developed along four lines of action:
- integrated management, planning, and implementation of air operations
- flexible and sustainable support system
- joint air situational awareness
- joint training and exercise activities of the air forces
Aircraft of the Nordic air forces involved:
Swedish Air Force:
- Saab JAS 39 Gripen
Finnish Air Force:
- Boeing F/A-18 Hornet
- Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II (planned)
Norwegian Air Force:
- Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II
- Lockheed P-3 Orion
- Dassault Falcon 20
Danish Air Force:
- Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II (planned)
- General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon
The focus of the joint air defense force is to expand and strengthen cooperation in operational planning, especially in the remote, northern parts of Finland, Sweden, and Norway. The cooperation is intended to start as soon as possible and be close to completion in the winter of 2024 in connection with the Nordic Response exercise.
Major General Rolf Folland, head of the Norwegian Air Force, said that “this will be a huge force that acts as a deterrent to any attacker and will give the Nordic population security.» The creation of this joint force signifies the Nordic countries’ commitment to working together for the mutual defense and security of their people.