CRAIG HOYLE / LONDON
The focus for Nordic armed forces has shifted from traditional homeland defence to having professional forces set for collaborative deployment worldwide
The Nordic states are in the process of rebalancing their armed forces capabilities to address the realities of a post-Cold War existence, and to tackle the need for increased collaboration, specialisation and rationalisation.
Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden have all recorded defence budget increases over recent years, reflecting the need for more professional forces equipped for expeditionary deployments, rather than centred on the traditional focus of national defence. However, funding cuts have already been proposed in Finland and Norway, and all four countries are to deliver new models for their future military structures within the next 12 months.
The Finnish defence ministry will submit a new Defence White Paper to parliament later this year, with Denmark's defence plan for the 2005-8 timeframe to be aired around the same time. An ongoing assessment of Sweden's defence requirements will be made public next December, while Norway's next four-year defence plan will be unveiled in early 2005. Budgets may be further sliced and more frontline capabilities removed through these processes, but all the countries say that changes are necessary.
The Swedish air force has suffered through a previous defence review, which stripped it of a number of its planned Gripen squadrons to leave just eight. Sources within the country's Defence Materiel Administration now suggest that the current process could also lead to the removal of additional frontline units from its inventory. Norway too has seen a number of its upgraded Lockheed Martin F-16AM/BM fighters placed in storage, following a reduction in its frontline strength to just 48 aircraft. Both countries have also already seen a number of their air force facilities closed, made possible by the removal of the threat from Soviet forces.
Unforeseen challenges
With this historical threat having been removed, the Nordic nations are now committing their service personnel ever wider, and are transforming their capabilities to support limited deployments of troops and equipment around the world. "If the armed forces are to be able to meet unforeseen challenges, whenever and wherever they may arise, we must have the capability to react," says Norwegian defence minister Kristin Krohn Devold.
An example of this came last November, when a force of around 200 personnel from Norway's Telemark Battalion rapid reaction unit was deployed to Afghanistan in support of the International Security and Assistance Force. It took three months for Oslo to deploy troops to Kosovo during the NATO-led conflict in 1999, but the Afghan force was in theatre within one month of being called up, underlining the enhancements made over recent years. The personnel were deployed to the region using the services of a leased Antonov An-124 transport, as Norway - like the other Nordic nations - lacks a strategic airlift capability. In a further sign of collaboration with its NATO allies, the Telemark Battalion is now assigned as part of the 1st German-Netherlands Corps.
Reflecting their drive towards supporting increasingly expeditionary operations and low-intensity conflicts, the Nordic states provide a small but valued complement of more than 400 military observers and troops to NATO, with many more personnel assigned to or available for commitments handled by the European Union and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, such as the ongoing Balkan peacekeeping mission.
Operations in support of the US-led war on terror since 11 September have seen forces and equipment from the Nordic region deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq, including a joint unit of F-16 fighters formed of six aircraft each from European Participating Air Forces partners and NATOallies Denmark and Norway, along with the Netherlands. The wing was deployed to Manas airport in Kyrgyzstan in late 2002, from where its aircraft conducted close-air support duties - including a number of laser-guided bombing missions - over Afghanistan.
Joining forces
Comprising 440 personnel, the unit represented a likely model for future co-operation, where limited numbers of aircraft from several nations could join forces to provide a worthy contribution to allied operations, believes Royal Norwegian Air Force chief Maj Gen Tomas Colin Archer. Norway's aircraft took part in operations over Afghanistan for six months, while their Danish and Dutch counterparts remained in place for a 12-month period.
Sweden has, meanwhile, since 1 January had eight JAS39A Gripen fighters available for international air defence and limited reconnaissance duties through its air force rapid reaction unit. This will be equipped with six NATO-standard JAS39Cs from 2006. In an indication of its preparedness to take part in long-distance activities, two Gripens flew to the USA late last year to participate in a training exercise. The Swedish air force is eyeing possible future participation by the aircraft in the multinational Red Flag series of exercises, and believes its aircraft could have a part to play by 2006.
The country's moves to enhance such co-operation with NATO states and to improve its expeditionary capabilities are also likely to be underlined, following the entry into office of the Swedish navy's Lt Gen Hakan Syren as its new chief of defence on 1 January.
While they lack a heavylift aircraft capability, the Nordic states have made some advances in enhancing their ability to deploy armoured forces for coalition operations, with Denmark and Norway among the nine NATO members having resolved to jointly address a shortage in strategic sealift identified through the alliance's Defence Capabilities Initiative.
Denmark will also boost its ability to take part in continued allied operations early this year, when its three replacement Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 tactical transports will arrive in country. Replacing the Royal Danish Air Force's three C-130Hs, the new aircraft mark part of a modernisation effort which also includes the acquisition of 14 AgustaWestland EH101 search-and-rescue and utility helicopters, the first of which made its debut flight late last year.
"The assessment can be made that Finland is under no separate military threat in the foreseeable future", says its ministry of defence. "Despite this, Finland must be able to protect its territorial integrity in all situations." With this in mind, the country is pursuing a mid-life update to 64 of its Boeing F-18A/B Hornet strike aircraft, and has ordered 20 NH90 tactical transport helicopters from Europe's NH Industries. The latter platform was also selected by Norway (14) and Sweden (18) through the Nordic Standard Helicopter requirement. However, Finland's long-held plans to acquire an attack helicopter capability appear to have fallen off the current procurement scope.
Finland's future Defence White Paper will determine its future stance towards NATO, and look towards its possible desire to gain membership during a further round of alliance expansion. The nation's industry in particular is keen to boost its ability to do continued business with alliance members. Finland, like Sweden, must come to a judgement on its future position, as the Partnership for Peace organisation contracts and NATO expands.
However, Sweden is happy that it can increasingly operate alongside NATO nations and support a successful national defence industry while retaining its neutral status. Sweden is unlikely to change its non-aligned status by joining NATO in the near future, say national sources. There is little popular support for such a development, especially in view of widespread opposition to last year's US-led campaign to oust Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.
Naval priorities
Norway has over recent years prioritised the modernisation of its naval capabilities, with its five Fridtjof Nansen-class frigates to come partly at the expense of its postponed fighter acquisition - a capability for which the Eurofighter Typhoon and the F-16 Block 50N had been shortlisted. The country is currently involved as a Level 3 partner in the system development and demonstration phase of the Lockheed Martin-led F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project, but must by late this year address its continued commitment to the project.
Norwegian industry has so far been disappointed by the limited returns available to it on the US-led project, and has voiced opposition to its continued involvement. The air force is seeking between 48 and 56 new aircraft to replace its F-16 inventory by 2018, with a decision needed by 2008.
In addition to considering further defence rationalisation, Oslo's next defence plan will seek to build on previous improvements. "The missions, structure and make-up of the armed forces have undergone drastic change, but these changes have not been adequately reflected, either in the arrangements for personnel administration, or in the training system," says Krohn Devold. Norway's involvement in projects like the strategic sealift agreement will enable it to punch above its weight, she says. "By acting in collaboration with others, small countries like Norway can have access to capabilities that could never be achieved alone."
Partly following Sweden's lead, Norway has made the transition to network-based operations a key priority. NKr224 million ($32 million) was allocated in its current defence budget to acquire Link 16 data link equipment to aid joint operations between its air force and navy.
Sweden is now developing a total defence policy under its existing net defence concept. This envisages expanded civil and military co-operation to provide an improved capability to respond to peacetime emergencies and natural disasters. Saab will early this year head a test during which the Swedish emergency services will use military-driven network-centric capabilities to respond to a simulated disaster situation.
Conscription
In time, such civil personnel could have the ability to control the payload on a military unmanned air vehicle deployed over an area of interest, says Saab. Both Norway and Sweden are keen to play host to allied training activities with Link 16 systems, which can be used over areas with low population density, the countries believe.
The Nordic nations remain heavily committed to conscription, although numbers and service duration lengths are on the decrease. Finland maintains the largest reserve force, at 435,000, but plans to reduce this to around 350,000 by later this decade. While conscripts and reservists can vastly expand the armed forces in time of crisis, their use is increasingly bringing difficulties during deployments such as that at Manas, since they could not be deployed to a conflict area.
NATO member Iceland lacks an armed forces capability, but has for many years hosted US military aircraft at its Keflavik air base. The current deployment of more than 1,000 personnel supports a detachment which includes US Navy Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft, US Air Force Boeing F-15C fighters and a Boeing KC-135 tanker. The USA last year announced plans to withdraw this presence - a decision which has brought objections from Iceland.
Iceland is the only NATO member not involved in the Alliance Ground Surveil-lance project, which will give the organisation a dedicated battlefield reconnaissance capability from early next decade.
The end of the Cold War has brought a rapid and sometimes painful transformation to the Nordic states' armed forces, but they have already demonstrated their individual and collective abilities to contribute to coalition operations. A clearer picture should appear within the next year, but the indications are that they will continue on the right track.
| TABLE: Nordic Defence Budgets | |||
| Country | Active forces | Reserves | Defence budget (2003) |
| Denmark | 22,880 | 64,900 | $2.6billion |
| Finland | 27,000 | 435,000 | $2.3billion |
| Norway | 26,600 | 219,000 | $4.2billion |
| Sweden | 27,600 | 262,000 | $5.2billion |
| Source: IISS Military Balance | |||
Source: Flight International
