The reporter asked our minister of defence about which perceived threat that the Patriot is intended to counteract but he declined to answer ....
Iskander maybe?
/ Robin

Please forgive my ignorance on the Patriot but what version would it be? Patriot II or something similiar to the IDF Iron shield? I know they have used the Patriot for awhile with good success. Thanks

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The reporter asked our minister of defence about which perceived threat that the Patriot is intended to counteract but he declined to answer ....
Iskander maybe?
/ Robin

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To deter airplanes full of rowdy tourists from landing in your beautiful country?

Australia has 7 states and Territoties. The state I live in is 4 times the size of Sweden....

No way we could afford a Patriot system as missile defence.

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The reporter asked our minister of defence about which perceived threat that the Patriot is intended to counteract but he declined to answer ....
Iskander maybe?
/ Robin

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To deter airplanes full of rowdy tourists from landing in your beautiful country?

Australia has 7 states and Territoties. The state I live in is 4 times the size of Sweden....

No way we could afford a Patriot system as missile defence.

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Maybe not, but maybe you wouldn't need to defend those parts which are only full of kangaroos and rabbits
Focus on protecting the cities and vital installations.

I don't think four "firing units" will be able to cover more than a small part of Sweden either.
/ Robin

Not bad for a weapons system that is almost 40 years old...

This might be a good read.

I always thought Sweden was neutral?

Can understand though, with Russia so close by, not to get off track here, but I thought the days of Colonization were over?

https://breakingdefense.com/2018/07/nordics-mobilize-to-send-russians-clear-message-we-shall-not-be-cowed/


Cheers

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This might be a good read.

I always thought Sweden was neutral?

Can understand though, with Russia so close by, not to get off track here, but I thought the days of Colonization were over?

https://breakingdefense.com/2018/07/nordics-mobilize-to-send-russians-clear-message-we-shall-not-be-cowed/


Cheers

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neutral it does not mean not being able to defend itself against external interference, all neutral countries have an army of defense and depending on historical moments they have an "enemy" on which to focus their defenses

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This might be a good read.

I always thought Sweden was neutral?

Can understand though, with Russia so close by, not to get off track here, but I thought the days of Colonization were over?

https://breakingdefense.com/2018/07/nordics-mobilize-to-send-russians-clear-message-we-shall-not-be-cowed/


Cheers

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neutral it does not mean not being able to defend itself against external interference, all neutral countries have an army of defense and depending on historical moments they have an "enemy" on which to focus their defenses

The Swedish Airdefense use currently RBS-70 MANPADS and RBS-97 a.k.a a MIM-23 HAWK. Supplemented by CV9040 AD version. Given the fact that only the southern part of Sweden is densely populated, 4 firing units seem adequate. Maybe Swedish Navy could add to the AD screen.

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This might be a good read.

I always thought Sweden was neutral?

Can understand though, with Russia so close by, not to get off track here, but I thought the days of Colonization were over?

https://breakingdefense.com/2018/07/nordics-mobilize-to-send-russians-clear-message-we-shall-not-be-cowed/


Cheers

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neutral it does not mean not being able to defend itself against external interference, all neutral countries have an army of defense and depending on historical moments they have an "enemy" on which to focus their defenses

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Swedish governments since the late 1940ies have been trying to persuade the world that Sweden is a neutral country.
This has been and is complete BS and the USSR/WP and now the Russians has considered Sweden to be a part of the western political sphere. All our military doctrine has more or less focused on the scenario of USSR/Russia/WP trying to cross Sweden to get to the Atlantic coast in Norway (which is NATO). The only military goods of Eastern origin that we have ever used is the stuff that we bought from German piles of left over stuff after the NVA was dismantled. The rest has been domestic or bought from Western sources.
Our "neutrality" during the Vietnam War consisted of a lot of words to support VietCong and the North Vietnames and supplying the Carl Gustaf rocket rifle and rockets to the US. We couldn't sell them directly though so the British took grenades from their stock piles and we resupplied the British. In the case of a war the Swedish governement was planned to relocate to Britain, just like the Norwegian during WW II. We have build very long military landing strips for aircraft, not because we needed them for our own aircraft but as emergency landing strips for heavy bombers damaged over USSR/WP territory.
We have practically been members in NATO, except for the guarantees of mutual assistance and the fact that we do not have a vote. NATO would need to help Sweden since that is a good way to protect the northern flank. Just take a look at the map. With Sweden in WP hands it gets more difficult to keep the "plug" in the Danish straits.
The Swedish west coast was a probable launching area for the early generations of US sub launched ballistic missiles. As soon as the figures on missile range became know Sweden realised that our western coast could become infested with USSR/WP attack subs trying to find the US subs. A missile launched from that coast would reach beyond Moscow.

Iskander missiles based in the Kaliningrad area can reach southeast Sweden. Our major naval base is in Karlskrona ...
This is the base for our subs that could interfere with the Russian navy. Those subs that are so dang difficult to locate even out in the open ocean, the baltic waters are fiendishly difficult to hunt subs in.
We know, we have tried many times ...and the Russkies know since it is probably their subs that we have been hunting.
The only one that we "caught" is the one that got itself stuck due to a navigational error (unless it was a deception operation to get our attention away from something else).

Don't ever think that Sweden is neutral in anything else than political blabla. Our so-called neutrality could, to use a popular expression, be described as fake news

The Viggen fighter could not be sold to India since it had a jet engine Made in the US, even if we modified it a little.
We have tried to manufacture most of our equipment in Sweden to prevent getting cut off from supplies but some things we have bought from Western sources.
/ Robin

I can get along with that idea, Australia , already a bond with Marines ready to drop in and kick Butt.Same also in Nam,about the only ones that had some serious troops on the ground.

Cheers

Good read, all maybe not needed, so like a Bully facing 4 more bullies?
Those Vikings were brutal back in the day, from what I have read.

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Not bad for a weapons system that is almost 40 years old...

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It's nothing like the units that were used (and failed miserably) during Desert Storm. Had some major upgrades.