On September 2, the Swedish Armed Forces and the United States Air Force conducted a joint exercise. Sea mine dropping was practised with the navy off the coast of Öland.
A Visby-class corvette guided a B-52 Stratofortress during a mine-dropping exercise over the Swedish island. A Swedish JAS 39 Gripen escorted the US bombers into Swedish airspace. A Visby-class corvette guided the bombers off the eastern coast of land, marking where mines were to be laid in the exercise.
"In general, the exercise entails identifying an area in Swedish territorial waters where we wish to prevent opponent movements." The US bombers then drop mines in the area," says Rear Admiral Ewa Skoog Haslum, Chief of the Swedish Navy.
In the exercise, the mine dropping was simulated. There was no live ammunition used.
"The Bomber Task Force exercise is critical to us." "Within a few weeks, we obtained proof that all of our service branches are capable of joint action with the US Bomber Task Force," says Lieutenant General Johan Svensson, Commander of Joint Force Generation Command.
"The Swedish Air Force can protect them, ground units can provide Close Air Support, and the navy can neutralize sea targets." "There is no doubt that this strengthens our ability to defend Sweden," Lieutenant General Johan Svensson says.
