Finland and Sweden have been strengthening their defense co-operation for years. Now they are holding a joint exercise in a crisis situation on the strategically important island of Gotland.
Finland is participating in a co-operation exercise organized by Sweden in the sea area west of Gotland. From Finland, parts of the General Staff and the branches of defense, the battleship and the aircraft of the Air Force will take part in the exercise.
The Finnish and Swedish defense ministers have been monitoring the exercise on the ground. They watched as two Finnish F18 fighters and two Swedish Gripen fighters took off from Visby Airport at 12 noon local time. They were to practice fighting enemy ships at sea.
The joint exercise will be held in the context of the crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
– It’s huge. Russia has launched the first major offensive war in Europe since World War II, the Swedish defense minister Peter Hultqvist said to ‘s correspondent To Kirsi Heikel On Gotland.
– It is a violent insult to the Ukrainian nation and democracy. It demonstrates the nature of the Russian regime, its unpredictability and its readiness to use military force and military violence to achieve political goals.
The aim of the exercise is to test and develop a common picture of the situation in Finland and Sweden, as well as the interoperability of the naval and air forces.
The naval mine Uusimaa participates in the naval exercise, which practices sharing and managing the situation in an international environment. Participation develops the readiness and execution capability of the navy in cooperation between the defense branches and partners.
The Air Force will be trained by aeronautical personnel and two F / A-18 Hornet multipurpose fighters based at Visby’s base on Gotland. Visits to bases and training areas in another country are part of the close FISE co-operation between the Finnish and Swedish Air Forces.
The co-operation exercise is part of the normal exercise activities of the Finnish and Swedish Armed Forces.
You can discuss the topic until Thursday 3.3. until 11 p.m.