Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway pool their air forces together
Commanders of the Air Forces of Finland - Juha-Pekka Kerjanen, Sweden - Jonas Wikman, Norway - Rolf Folland and Denmark - Jan Dam (Photo:NATO)
Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark have agreed to operate their national air forces jointly, enhancing European air defenses and collective security in the face of Russian aggression, Reuters reported on March 24.
The four states will be able to use their fighter aircraft as a single fleet, based on their NATO interoperability standards. The Danish Air Force noted that they want to develop a "Scandinavian concept of joint air operations."
Cooperation will cover integrated command and control, operational planning and execution, flexible deployment of forces, joint exercises and drills, as well as joint airspace patrols.
Reuters reports that Norway has 57 F-16s and 37 F-35s and is expecting 15 additional F-35s. Finland has 62 F/A-18 Hornets and has ordered 64 F-35s, while Denmark has 58 F-16s and ordered 27 F-35s. Sweden has over 90 Gripen multi-purpose aircraft.
As Kyiv’s Western partners mull sending aircraft to Ukraine, Scandinavian countries effectively establishing Europe’s largest air force could provide some room for maneuver when it comes to decommissioning older fighter jets to make them available to Ukraine.
Sweden and Finland simultaneously filed bids to join NATO in May 2022 amid Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. Applications must be ratified by the parliaments of all NATO member states.
After Finland and Sweden enter the Alliance, NATO's border with Russia will more than double.
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