This morning a pair of Jas 39 Gripen fighters were picked up from Malbork Base. An unknown aircraft appeared in the global airspace on the Baltic. Swedish air force machines stationed in Poland captured and identified him. It turned out that to the north of the Polish coast, he one more time operated on Russian reconnaissance Ił-20.
Swedish Jas Gripen identifies Russian reconnaissance aircraft Il-20 Coot. Photo: Swedish Armed Forces
The RSZ Operations Command present reported that due to the activity of Russian long-range aviation, which struck objects, among others, in the west of Ukraine, were picked up on the flight on work of hunting pairs, and ground air defence systems and radio-location diagnosis reached a state of highest readiness. There was no breach of the Polish airspace and a fewer hours later a message about the completion of the operation appeared.
Soon after, Swedish Air Force (Flygvapnet) revealed that their The fighters that are stationed in Poland carried out their first combat mission. The Jas 39 Gripen pair was picked up for flight as a consequence of operations conducted by the NATO Air Operations Centre (CAOC UE) in Uedem, Germany. Swedish fighters intercepted and identified the reconnaissance aircraft of the Russian Federation Il-20 (Coot-A). The same kind of unit was twice intercepted in the past week by British Air Force (RAF) pilots who could not establish communication with the pilot of the machine.
– We show that Sweden is simply a player who truly contributes to further strengthening NATO's air defence and protection of Polish airspace together with another allies. Now for the first time we have done the task of a abroad base under NATO, which is another milestone in the past of the Swedish Air Force," said Anders Gustafsson, head of the Swedish contingent in Poland.
Swedish and British fighters are stationed at the 22nd Tactical Aviation Base in Malbork as part of a Natovian mission enhanced Air Police (eAR) which in Poland began on 1 April. A fewer days earlier, a full of 300 allied soldiers and 12 fighters arrived in our country: six Swedish Jas 39 Gripen and six British Eurofighter Typhoon, which defender the airspace of the east NATO flank. Prime Minister Jacek Goryszewski, spokesperson for the Operations Command of the Armed Forces Types, explained that the Swedes and the British carry out joint training flights, but on-calls are held in national pairs.
During the inauguration of the enhanced Air Police in 22th Pål Jonson Base, the Swedish defence minister, pointed out that the mission established in 2014 after the annexation of Crimea by Russia represents a demonstration of solidarity between allies and is geared towards deterring the Russian aggressor. Jonson added that his country has been active from the beginning in collective actions to strengthen the safety of the Alliance states. Not only in the air (eAR), but besides on land (Swedish land forces are present in Latvia and Finland) and the sea (operation ‘Baltic Sentry’). – It is an honor for us to be here together with Poland and large Britain. We will play our part in ensuring safety – Minister Jonson assured us in early April.
