Gripen with the KEPD-350 Taurus missile
Posted on 04/24/2014 2:32:19 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
The Swedish government has announced plans to beef up its defence forces by fitting its fleet of Gripen fighter jets with long-range cruise missiles.
Defence Minister Karin Enström said the high-precision missiles would chiefly act as a deterrent to other countries that might be considering an attack on Sweden.
“They would give new capabilities by offering a longer reach, but also the ability to fight targets that are further away,” she told Sveriges Radio (SR) on Thursday.
She said the move would “increase the effectiveness” of Sweden’s defence.
The cruise missiles would be added to the next generation of Gripen jets, and would be able to cause severe damage to targets 1,000 kilometres away. Current cruise missiles can only travel half that distance. The new missiles can fly at low altitude, have GPS guidance, and can manoeuvre like an aircraft.
Gunnar Hult, a professor at Sweden's National Defence College, said that increasing the cruise missile fleet is primarily a psychological move.
“This is nothing to be concerned about; Sweden wants to build the same capabilities that other countries have built. It’s more of a psychological thing,” he told The Local.
The Swedish Armed Forces pointed out that other countries in the wider Baltic area, including Finland and Russia, were investing in similar weapons.
The new proposal flies in the face of comments from Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who said last year that cruise missiles would “never be relevant for Sweden. Our defence is a defence”.
Hult pointed out that Bildt’s comments were made long before Russia moved in on Ukraine.
“There is a clear contradiction here. Before the Ukraine crisis, a move like this would have been perceived as quite aggressive. But after Russia’s behaviour, Sweden has obviously seen the need to stock up on the missiles,” he explained.
Enström, meanwhile, claimed that Sweden had to keep up with the ever-changing face of world conflict.
The proposal ruffled feathers with the Green Party (Miljöpartiet).
“This is a 180-degree turn compared to their previous approach,” Peter Rådberg, the party’s defence policy spokesman, told the Svenska Dagbladet newspaper.
He explained that such weapons were “crazily expensive” and were not the kind of offensive weapons needed in a defence force.
Hult argued that it was useless to define the guided missiles by their defensive or offensive properties.
“It’s not just a defence thing. In fact, the perception that weapons are ‘defence or attack’ is old-fashioned,” Hult told The Local.
“There is no static front these days. Modern Russian doctrines say that if war starts then they will strike at depth into any enemy territory.”
Green Party member Peter Rådberg added that the proposal had not yet reached the hands of the defence committee, and that he imagined it would only pass if the Alliance won the elections in September.
Gripen with the KEPD-350 Taurus missile
I not sure we want Vikings with cruise missiles....
“I not sure we want Vikings with cruise missiles....”
I’m not sure why they want them as they’ve surrendered the entire country to Islam. What exactly is it they’re going to defend? Anyone invading now would be considered a rescue party.
Interesting, the Muslims and Progressives are already in control of several of their major cities, I guess the plan is "scorched earth".
defending Lutfisk 24/7.
Not surprising considering Russia’s latest moves. This is what Russia wanted to avoid. They cannot win an arm’s race. They are too far behind now.
Luckily for them, President Obama is a wimpy girly woman.
The best defense is a good offense.
Ping.
Call me crazy but I'd say that the Swedes are a bit more concerned by *Soviet* missiles than Finnish ones.
Yes,they can...as long as Osama Obama is the other runner.
This is probably aimed more at the potential sales to other countries than their own defense. They are making the Gripen much more desirable. Have to wonder, though, the effect on licenses they rely on for much of the technology they use - those licenses would have been based on the prior role and expected use.
Well just contact Saab ,you’ll have some within a week or less
“I not sure we want Vikings with cruise missiles....”
Don’t worry, they’ve been de-nutted along with Norway. They are now multi-cult socialist paradises and if you live there you’d better not say anything different. Some of them are trying to break free and deserve our support even though they are branded ‘racist’. We’re seeing the same thing here.
the swedes should rent these cities to all countries who want live fire combat in cities training.
Not if the former Warsaw Pact countries oppose them.
The Swedes will help Finland when needed against the obvious, expansionist adversary.
I think the Us would be in deep doodoo if we had buy our ordinance. These countries have been around for heck of longer time than we have and cannot develop a weapon system to protect themselves!
Nations black ball and demean our country but are first in line for defense systems! I would think the Iron Curtain would be better served for their needs! The Cruise is a strike weapon.
That said they should really wait for when the laser technology is up for sale. I wonder who is threatening them, 0?
{US}
Bump
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