Sweden saved by Danish F-16 because no Gripen was able to take off

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/20130422/swedish-air-force-fails-counter-mock-russian-attack

Swedish Air Force fails to counter mock Russian attack
Radio SwedenEye on the Arctic
April 22, 2013

The Swedish Air Force reportedly failed to monitor exercises ostensibly aimed at Swedish targets, because no planes or pilots were available.

The newspaper Svenska Dagbladet reports that during Easter weekend the Russian Air Force held maneuvers in the Baltic just outside Sweden’s territorial boundary. Held off of the island Gotska Sandön, military sources tell the newspaper that the fictitious targets of the exercise were two of Sweden’s most important military bases.

Russia had informed Sweden ahead of time about the maneuvers. At least two Swedish Gripen fighters should have been in the air to identify foreign aircraft, but Svenska Dagbladet reports, there were none available at the time. Instead, NATO sent two Danish fighters stationed in Lithuania, which arrived too late to monitor the exercise.

Taking part in the manoeuvres, about 20-25 miles outside Swedish territorial borders, were four Russian fighters and two heavy bombers, capable of carrying cruise missiles and nuclear weapons.

http://cphpost.dk/news/international/danish-f-16s-confronted-russian-fighter-jets-approaching-sweden

Danish F-16s confronted Russian fighter jets approaching Sweden
April 23, 2013 – 10:40
The Russian military has increased its presence in the Baltic region over the past few years, much to the consternation of the Swedes

Had the two Danish jets not arrived, the Russians could have easily entered Swedish airspace unhindered (Photo: Colourbox)

On Good Friday, March 29, two bombers and four fighters from the Russian Air Force approached Swedish airspace, completely catching the Swedes by surprise.

With the Swedes asleep at the wheel, two Danish F-16 jets under NATO command were sent up to face the approaching Russians. The Russian jets turned around just 30-40 kilometres, a couple of minute’s flight time, from Sweden’s border and the Danish F-16’s fell in to ‘shadow’ the Russians, or “fly the flag” as the defence minister, Nick Hækkerup (Socialdemokraterne), put it.