Source: China National Defense News, China Military Horn
Norwegian Air Force F-35 fighters participating in the Nordic Response-2024 exercise on March 11.
At a time when local conflicts in Europe are still ongoing, "increasing military spending and strengthening military strength" has become a key word in many European countries. As a result of the impact on the tradition of "balanced diplomacy" and the strategic culture of "pacifism", the four Nordic countries (Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden) with standing armies are speeding up the upgrading of their air forces and are adding new fighter jets.
Start the process of "replacing the old with the new".
The Danish and Finnish air forces are mainly equipped with American-made fighter jets, which are currently being upgraded in both countries. The Danish Air Force currently has 43 F-16 fighters, of which about 30 are ready for service. These fighters are more advanced mid-range upgrades, with integrated "Litanein" advanced targeting pods, capable of target detection, identification and tracking at long distances. Danish F-16 fighter jets are quite active on the international stage, having been deployed across borders to NATO countries such as Lithuania and Iceland.
Denmark has long adhered to "Atlanticism" and "NATO supremacy", has a very close defense relationship with the United States, and is one of the "third-level partners" of the American F-35 Joint Fighter (codenamed "Lightning") project. As early as June 2016, the Danish government locked its next-generation fighter into the F-35 fighter and decided to purchase 27 F-35As. At present, the Danish Air Force has received 10 F-35A fighters, and its pilots are undergoing training in the United States to convert new fighters to ensure that these fighters will be officially installed in the first half of this year.
The main fighter of the Finnish Air Force is the American-made F/A-18C/D fighter. The fighters have previously completed two mid-term upgrades and are capable of interconnecting with NATO air forces via the Link-16 data link. After several rounds of bidding, in December 2021, the F-35A fighter finally defeated competitors such as "Rafale", "Typhoon" and "Gripen", and won the latest large order for Finland's fighter jet. Finland will purchase 64 F-35A fighter jets, which are expected to be initially operational capability in 2026 and fully operational capability in 2030. At that time, all F/A-18C/D fighters will be decommissioned.
After Finland officially joined NATO in April 2023, the need for F-35A fighter jets has become more urgent. However, there may be surprises with the new aircraft. Finland has confirmed the purchase of a more advanced Block IV batch, and it is said that the new engine will be in place no earlier than 2026. According to the plan, the first F-35A fighter jets of the Finnish army will be delivered in 2025 and deployed to Rovaniemi airbase in 2026 to serve as NATO's "Arctic outpost". This means that Finland will only be able to receive Block III batches first, and then upgrade them when the relevant technology is mature.
"Polar circle 'lightning'" is beginning to take shape
Norway and Denmark are among the first full members of NATO and a "third-level partner" in the F-35 joint fighter jet project. Since the beginning of 2022, the Norwegian Air Force has embarked on a full-scale replacement of F-35 fighters with F-16A fighters. All 55 F-16 fighters of the Norwegian Air Force have entered the second line status, of which 32 will be sold to Romania, with a total contract value of about $514 million. On April 5, Norwegian Prime Minister Støre said he planned to increase defense spending by 600 billion Norwegian kroner ($56 billion) over the next 12 years. In 2036, Norway will spend 3% of GDP on defense. Given that the Norwegian Air Force fighter jets have been updated, these expenditures will be directed primarily to the Navy and Army.
As early as November 2008, Norway identified the purchase of 52 F-35A fighter jets, but it was not until June 2012 that it was authorized to purchase the first two fighter jets. The two fighters are permanently stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, USA, for training Norwegian Air Force pilots and ground crew. In November 2017, the first three F-35A fighters joined the Norwegian Air Force's 332nd Fighter Squadron, and tests began near the Arctic Circle. In 2019, all F-35A fighters in the squadron were initially operationally capable, underwent intensive operational testing and evaluation, and conducted joint exercises with the country's army, navy and special forces in northern Norway. The 331st Fighter Squadron of the Norwegian Air Force is being formed and is positioned as a "Test, Training and Tactical Squadron".
At present, the delivery and installation of Norwegian F-35A fighter jets is progressing steadily, and all 52 are expected to be delivered by 2025. It is reported that the Norwegian F-35A fighter has undergone an extreme environmental test and is a "lightning" in service at the highest latitude in the world. With the replacement of the F-16 fighter jets, Norway will build the world's first fully stealth fighter air force.
The "Land of Gripen" is in a class of its own
As neighboring countries in the Nordic region continue to equip American-made fighter jets, Sweden, which just joined NATO in 2024, still maintains its independent development characteristics. The Swedish Air Force is mainly armed with domestically produced Gripen fighters. For more than 30 years, Gripen has evolved into several generations to meet the positioning and needs of the Swedish Air Force. The latest generation is the JAS-39E, a total of 60 aircraft purchased by the Swedish Air Force, which is expected to be fully installed in 2025 and enter service with its first two improved models, the JAS-39C/D. According to the plan, by 2030, the number of Swedish Gripen fighter squadrons will increase from the current six to eight, including six JAS-39E squadrons and two JAS-39C/D squadrons.
In the foreseeable future, the skies over Sweden will still belong to the Gripen fighters. A spokesman for the Swedish Air Force said: "We have our own aerospace industry and have the ability to develop fighter jets at high speed in a way that many other countries can't." "Recently, Sweden announced the independent development of a next-generation fighter. In late March, Sweden's Defense Materials Administration, which is in charge of military production, awarded contracts to Saab Group, the manufacturer of the "Gripen" fighter, and the aerospace company GKN, entrusting them to conduct pre-research on a new generation of fighter jets and fighter engines, which is expected to end in 2025 and move to the stage of regular sample development. The new generation of fighters will be officially operational around 2040. Sweden is continuing to "go it alone" and join the global sixth-generation fighter "R&D club".
A general examination of the Nordic air combat forces shows that the proportion of U.S.-made fighters continues to increase, and the F-35 fighter jet is taking the opportunity to "harvest" more orders. At the instigation of the United States, since the end of March 2023, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden are stepping up the formation of a "Nordic Joint Air Force" with a scale of 250 fighters, including 143 F-35 fighters purchased from the United States. In the future, this joint air force will serve as the largest standing air deterrent force under NATO's command, and will have a major impact on the security situation in Northern Europe and the Arctic region. (Wang Daning)
(Produced by China National Defense News, China Military Horn)