UK deploys fighter jets in Sweden and Finland for training exercises

Europe, News July 12, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

The Royal Air Force has deployed two F-35B fighter jets and four Eurofighter Typhoon jets in Finland and Sweden for a joint training exercise along with Finnish F-18 Hornets and Swedish Gripen aircraft.

The deployment of the six fighter jets comes after a request made by the two Scandinavian countries. The deployment of jets and joint air force exercises between the UK, Sweden, and Finland come only a few days after the application of two Nordic countries n to join the NATO alliance was accepted in the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

According to the UK Ministry of Defense statement, the two F-35Bs and four Typhoons conducted “high-end warfighting training with Finnish F-18 Hornets and Swedish Gripen aircraft, underlining the UK’s commitment to strengthening our collective defence capabilities.”

In an official statement released by the British Ministry of Defense, the Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace highlighted that “Finland and Sweden are important defence partners and we welcome their applications to join NATO, which will make the alliance stronger as we face a renewed threat in Europe. These deployments highlight our determination to enhance that partnership and ensure our forces can work together seamlessly.”

The joint exercise is a part of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), which consists of the United Kingdom, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Noway, and Sweden. In May 2022, the UK also signed a security pact with Sweden and Finland to boost the defense confidence of the two European countries as they move towards joining the NATO alliance.

*^{Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 fighter jet flying trials with ASRAAM, Meteor, Brimstone, and Paveway IV. (Image Credit: Jamie Hunter/RAF/UK MOD)}*

Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist stated that “the Joint Expeditionary Force contributes to regional security and stability. Joint exercises, like the one here in Satenas [Swedish airbase where the exercise would take place], strengthen our ability to operate together in response to a crisis in our neighbourhood. This is particularly important in today’s challenging security environment.”

The arrival of F-35B jets to the joint exercise is of particular importance for Finland because the country has recently announced its plans to acquire the F-35S aircraft, a single-seat variant of F-35 fighter jets produced by the U.S. aerospace firm Lockheed Martin.

Apart from carrying out interoperability exercises, the Royal Air Force would also use its Voyager aircraft, RAF Brize Norton, for air-to-air refueling exercises. A400M Atlas aircraft would also participate in the training exercise to deploy the RAF Marham and RAF Lossiemouth support teams to the Swedish airbase.

The Royal Air Force has also deployed its Typhoon Force aircraft in Konya, Turkey, where they would participate in Training exercises organized by the Turkish Air Force. Aerial fleets from Pakistani, Jordanian, and Azerbaijani air forces would also participate in the exercises. The Royal Air Force Typhoon Force is currently deployed from Romania where they are currently supporting the NATO Air Policing mission.