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Sweden conducted its first reconnaissance flights near the Russian border since joining NATO

Cameron Manley   

Sweden conducted its first reconnaissance flights near the Russian border since joining NATO
  • Sweden conducted its first reconnaissance flights near the Russian border since joining NATO.
  • The two flights were aimed at collecting intelligence on troop and weapons deployment in the region.

The Swedish Air Force last week conducted its first reconnaissance flights near Russia's border since officially joining NATO.

The two flights on Saturday were aimed at collecting intelligence information about the deployment and activities of Russian troops and weapons in the region, Open Source Intelligence experts said.

One flight was made by a Swedish Gulfstream S102B Korpen GIV-SP Signal Intelligence (SIGINT), which flew over Poland near the borders of Russia's Kaliningrad enclave and Belarus.

The S102B Korpen is a highly modified Gulfstream IV aircraft equipped with sensors to perform signal intelligence: it can scan the electromagnetic spectrum to locate, collect, and categorize signals from radars, navigation equipment, and weapon systems.

The second flight was carried out by a Saab 340 radar aircraft over the Baltic Sea. The Saab 340 is an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. The mounted radar is capable of tracking ships, planes, and missiles up to 190-250 miles while at an altitude of 20,000 feet.

According to the Ukrainian military site Militarny, the planes are part of the 72nd and 73rd squadrons of the special aviation intelligence unit, based at Malmen Air Base outside Linköping.

Sweden's accession to NATO and Russian military movement

On Thursday, following a handover of documents in Washington, Sweden became NATO's 32nd member.

As fears of Russia extending its aggression into the Baltic states mount, Sweden's membership gives the alliance new ways of deterring Russian attacks.

Nima Khorrami, an analyst at the Arctic Institute, previously told Business Insider that Sweden's membership "extends NATO's missile range, putting strategic locations in Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg within reach."

"This adds another layer of deterrence against potential Russian aggression, as NATO forces can effectively respond to threats in real time," he said.

Oscar Jonsson, a researcher at the Swedish Defence University, previously told BI that "Sweden is important for both safely receiving NATO troops and capabilities and by being hard to target for Russian forces while being close enough to Kaliningrad to launch long-range precision capabilities."

A Lithuanian intelligence report released this week said Russia was responding to NATO's additional members by stepping up its military presence in the Baltic region.

Russia has long accused NATO of seeking to encircle it, with Putin citing the claim as part of the justification for Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.



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