Air force commanders from Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark have signed a letter of intent to create a unified Nordic air defense aimed at countering the rising threat from Russia.
The four Nordic countries would combine their fighter jet fleets of around 250 jets under one operational command, laying “the foundation for a single Nordic air defense,” according to official statements.
Finland’s Air Force Commander Major General Juha-Pekka Keränen, Sweden’s Major General Jonas Wikman, Norway’s Major General Rolf Folland, and Denmark’s Major General Jan Dam signed the declaration of intent of the commanders of the Nordic air forces on March 16, 2023, at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany. NATO Air Command chief General James Hecker also attended the signing ceremony.
The declaration of intent identifies four areas of action and cooperation including integrated command and control with joint planning and execution, flexible deployment of air forces, joint airspace surveillance and joint training and exercises.
“Our combined fleet can be compared to a large European country,” commander of the Danish air force, Major General Jan Dam, told Reuters.
Finland’s air force commander Brigadier General Pasi Jokinen termed it “an important step towards strengthening our common security.”
Norway has some 57 F-16 fighter jets and 37 F-35 fighter jets with 15 more on order. Finland has 62 F/A-18 Hornet jets and 64 F-35s on order. Denmark has 58 F-16s and 27 F-35s on order while Sweden has more than 90 Gripen jets.
“The ultimate goal is to be able to operate seamlessly together as one force by developing a Nordic concept for joint air operations based on already known NATO methodology,” reads the statement published by the Danish defense ministry.
“The sum of these efforts will enable a holistic approach to air forces in the Nordic countries,” the statement reads, adding that “the Nordic Response and Arctic Challenge Exercise will be used as milestones for the joint efforts.”
The move was in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year. The invasion also prompted Sweden and Finland to seek NATO membership, ending decades of their position of non-alignment. However, the process has been held up as Turkey and Hungary are yet to ratify the memberships.
