Swedish military releases photo of mysterious ‘foreign vessel’ (Russian sub?)

AFP-JIJI ^ | OCT 20, 2014

[sukhoi-30mki]

STOCKHOLM – The Swedish military has presented photographic evidence of a mysterious “foreign vessel” off the coast of Stockholm but rejected reports it was on the “hunt” for a damaged submarine.

Ever since the armed forces received a tip-off about a “man-made object” off the coast of Stockholm on Friday, 200 men, several stealth ships, minesweepers and helicopters have been searching the sea around islands about 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of the Swedish capital.

“This is not ours, it’s a foreign vessel,” Rear Admiral Anders Grenstad told reporters, pointing to a grainy photo taken on Sunday morning by a “source” — the third such sighting since Friday.

“He saw something that was on the surface and after he took the picture it disappeared again.”

Grenstad said it was not possible to determine the nationality of the vessel due to the poor quality of the photo, which shows a far-off dark object jutting out of the sea surrounded by surf. But he said the sightings followed a pattern built up over several years.

He rejected media speculation that the armed forces were “submarine hunting” and stressed that the mobilization — one of the biggest, barring purely training exercises, since the Cold War — was an intelligence operation.

“This is not a submarine hunt, using weapons to combat an opponent. It’s about collecting intelligence to establish that there is foreign underwater activity,” said Grenstad, adding that an area east of the Swedish capital appeared “to be of interest to a foreign power.”

“Later there can be a situation where it becomes a submarine hunt. We’re not there now.”

He dismissed a report from the respected daily Svenska Dagbladet on Saturday suggesting that a Russian emergency transmission had been intercepted, indicating that a Russian U-boat was in trouble in the area.

[sukhoi-30mki]

This picture made available Sunday by the Swedish defense minister shows a dark object in a white wake in the sea to the left of the birch. Mystery deepened over a Swedish military operation triggered by 'foreign underwater activity' off the coast of Stockholm, amid an unconfirmed report of a hunt for a damaged Russian submarine. On Saturday, Swedish armed forces stepped up an operation — involving more than 200 men, stealth ships, minesweepers and helicopters — in an area about 50 km (30 miles) east of the Swedish capital. The manuevers were initiated Friday after the armed forces said they had been informed of a 'man made object' in the water.

| AFP-JIJI/SWEDISH DEFENCE HANDOUT

[Veggie Todd]

Loch Ness Monster?

[Bobalu]

Nessie..yeah, yeah

[353FMG]

Is this a picture of a lake or the sea?

The reason I ask is that the shoreline looks more like a fresh water shore than a salt water shoreline.

Vegetation too close to the water line, no beach, and mangrove trees do not appear in Europe.

[ExSoldier]

Captain Nemo and the Nautilus?

[logi_cal869]

You have got to freaking kidding me...

[elhombrelibre]

It’s just Russia being Russia. They’re surrounded by warlike neighbors, like Sweden and NATO, and have to harass them to prove Putin is STRONG.

[Rodamala]

[tumblindice]

Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale ...

[FreedomStar3028]

Certainly looks like an inland fresh water lake or river. But it could just as easily be inland salt water. Bay, or fjord. Isn’t that area known for its fjords?

[FreedomStar3028]

Are you referring to the military searching with what SEEMS like overkill? How advanced could their military be compared to the Russians, technologically and their training.

[ltc8k6]

That’s the best pic they could get?

Does this vessel belong to bigfoot?

[Husker24]

That photo is underwhelming.

[Defiant]

I was able to zoom in on the vessel:

[tumblindice]

If you blow it up, you can see a feather sticking up. So I think that’s Nokomis in his canoe, off the shore of Giche Gumee, by the shining big sea water.

[stormer]

Mangrove? I don’t know where you came up with that. It looks just like Puget Sound. Salt water...

[Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America]

Loch Nyet monster?

[logi_cal869]

No. I’m referring to the laughable photo and its description.

They’ve had patrol boats in the water 24/7 since this first broke and the best they have to release for ‘evidence’ of a foreign vessel is a lousy cell phone shot? After releasing media photos of their forces performing the search?

And this is reported seriously, vs. satire?

Unflippin-believable. “Nessie” is a better caption.

[octex]

So I think that’s Nokomis in his canoe, off the shore of Giche Gumee, by the shining big sea water.
*************
Very good. lol ....Hadn’t thought of that in many years.

[ApplegateRanch]

So they are hunting a Red submarine in October? I’m pretty sure I already saw that movie.

Also the other one, about a damaged Russian sub’s crew coming ashore in California.

Which one are they remaking in Sweden; or is it a mashup of both?