KEFLAVIK AIR BASE, Iceland – The Swedish Air Force is flying a milestone mission in the skies over Iceland, marking the first lead patrol deployment for the Nordic nation since it joined NATO in 2024, and it comes in a year when the air force celebrates its 100th anniversary.
For the Swedes, it’s also a chance to train with NATO allies in a strategic region.
“We have prepared for 98 years out of the 100 years to defend Sweden, but to do it alone and from Swedish territory … that is becoming a more and more difficult task,” said Swedish Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Jonas Wikman. “If you want to defend yourself with airpower, you want to do it together with someone else.”
To mark the occasion, the air force hoped to lower the ramp of a Hercules transport plane at 10,000 feet and give the press a look at its Gripen fighter jets in action over the skies of Iceland, providing a snapshot of the jets Swedish-based SAAB wants Canada to buy.
However, bad weather cancelled the show on the first day of the press tour, making it too risky for a peacetime manoeuvre of this kind, said the air force.
“It’s really gusting, the winds are up to 40 knots,” said squadron commander and fighter pilot Lt. Col. Robin Arvidson. “It’s not because the aircraft can’t handle it in the air, it’s because if we have to eject, we don’t want to hurt ourselves actually landing.”
Still the Swedes says the Gripen is built for missions in harsh arctic conditions.
“If it’s winter with -20 C, or if it’s summer with 20 C, it functions the same,” said Arvidson. “It starts all the time.”
Detachment Commander Lt. Col. Johan Legardt says the Gripen is a frequent flyer in the north, and able to operate from short, narrow runways.
“Since the Gripen is designed by a Swedish company, of course the climate is no problem, since the specifications were designed for the Arctic climate,” said Legardt. “Canada also has a harsh climate.”
SAAB has been courting Canada, as it reviews a decision to purchase a fleet of 88 F-35’s from U.S. manufacturer Lockheed-Martin.
Since then, a debate has heated up over which fighter jet is best to defend Canada, and at what cost to the country. Some defence analysts have said the F-35 is an advanced fighter that could operate seamlessly within Norad and is the best choice.
Pete Hoekstra, the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, has also said the F-35 is the product of a U.S.-led international consortium of nations, of which Canada was one of the first to sign on.
Sweden’s mission in Iceland is expected to last until mid-March, and the Swedish Air Force commander says it has so far been successful, with integration within NATO going smoothly.
