The Swedish contingent, 21 Expeditionary Air Wing, has been on site since spring and is part of NATO's ongoing efforts to strengthen surveillance and protection of airspace in Eastern Europe. The force consists of pilots, air combat controllers, technicians, communications personnel, and other key functions.
– It is valuable to meet the Swedish personnel on site and see how well they cooperate in a multinational environment. This is a clear example of how we build security together within NATO, says Commander-in-Chief Michael Claesson in a statement from the Swedish Armed Forces' press release.
During the visit, the Commander-in-Chief received a briefing from contingent leader Anders Gustafsson and met personnel from the Swedish unit. The current rotation period has involved several real incident missions, where Swedish and British fighter jets of the Gripen and Typhoon types respectively quickly took off to signal against or identify Russian air activity near NATO's airspace over the Baltic region.
– Our presence here not only strengthens the alliance's deterrent capability, it also strengthens our own. It is a double effect we should be proud of, says Michael Claesson.