Finnish Air Force Flirts With Swedish GlobalEyeJuly 17, 2024
LONDON—The Finish Air Force may assign some staff to Sweden to operate on that country’s Global Eye airborne early warning (AEW) and control system, with an eye toward potentially buying into the program. Sweden has a notional plan to buy four of the Saab AEW aircraft, which are based on the Bombardier Global 6000 business jet. Sweden in June said it would buy a third Global Eye.
Finish Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Juha-Pekka Keranen said he is considering sending some personnel to help Sweden staff its AEW aircraft. The effort could lead Finland to buy into the Swedish program and acquire one of the Global Eye aircraft itself, he says in an interview at the Global Air & Space Chiefs Conference here. Funding such an acquisition is uncertain, though.
Even so, the potential move is a clear sign of how Nordic air forces are looking to perform increasingly close operations between Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden at a higher level. Senior service leaders at the conference say they see room for further cooperation beyond the joint exercises and operational planning they are now refining.
Keranen says the four countries have a decent number of fighters when inventories are combined. But in areas such as air defense and missile defense, as well as uncrewed combat aircraft, they have not done much to work together. Finland, he added, does not have the money to buy an aerial refueling fleet, though something might be done as a collaborative effort. As with AEW assets, Finland does not have the financial muscle to buy tanker aircraft, but Keranen hinted a joint effort might make it possible.
Swedish air force chief Maj. Gen. Jonas Wikman said cooperation beyond equipment could benefit the services as well. Closer partnership in areas such as basic training could enhance higher quality services at no additional cost, he argued at the event.
Service officials also signaled they have similar defense modernization concerns. High priorities right now for the Danish air force are boosting intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities and air and missile defense, says Brig. Gen. Henrik Hegner Nielsen, deputy chief of the Royal Danish Air Force.
Norway’s service chief, Maj. Gen. Rolf Folland, also says boosting air and missile defense are among his top priorities, though the strong demand across Western countries has led to long wait times for products. https://aviationweek.com/shownews/gascc-riat/finnish-air-force-flirts-swedish-global-eye