The story behind this awesome photo of Swedish and US aircraft flying together above Sweden’s neutral territory

The story behind this awesome photo of Swedish and US aircraft flying together above Sweden’s neutral territory

By Dario Leone
Nov 16 2020
Share this article

This Swedish-led exercise increases interoperability and enhances the US forces ability to respond to threats in the Baltic Sea region alongside Swedish partners.

Taken on Nov. 14, 2020 the cool photo in this post shows 48th Fighter Wing’s F-15Es, Swedish Air Force JAS-39 Gripens, Air Force Special Operations Command CV-22Bs, and MC-130Js flying over Gotland Island during a joint exercise across the Baltic Sea. Swedish and US forces conduct qualified exercises together with partners to strengthen defense capabilities across land, air, and sea domains to deter any opponent.

As told by Senior Airman Christopher S. Sparks, 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs, in the wing news release, this Swedish-led exercise, that started on Nov. 12 and will last until Nov. 18, increases interoperability and enhances the US forces ability to respond to threats in the Baltic Sea region alongside Swedish partners.

“This goes a long way to show the strength of our relationship and the capacity to operate together in support of stability in the Baltic region,” said Maj. Nate Wallace, the 48th Fighter Wing’s lead mission planner for the exercise, from the 48th Operations Support Squadron. “For us, this was a fantastic opportunity to not only train with the Swedish Armed Forces, but to practice 21st century close air support by operating almost completely in the digital realm.”

The exercise will take place in various locations across Sweden, with special operations forces participating from both nations. The training will also feature an integration of conventional forces from both nations in land, air and maritime exercises.

“Our ability to project combat air power rests on strong cohesive partnerships, and we rely on these partnerships to conduct sustained operations in the Arctic and Nordic regions,” said Col. Sean Lowe, 48th Operations Group commander. “This week’s joint exercise leverages our forward presence in the Baltic Sea region allowing the Liberty Wing team to deepen our interoperability with the Swedish Air Force while sending a clear deterrence message to any adversary.”

F-15E print
This print is available in multiple sizes from AircraftProfilePrints.com – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS. F-15E Strike Eagle 366th Fighter Wing, 391st Fighter Squadron, MO/90-0249 – Mountain Home AFB, ID – 2008

Photo credit: U.S. Special Operations Command Europe


Share this article

Dario Leone

Dario Leone

Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviation Geek Club” one of the world’s most read military aviation blogs. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Share this article


Share this article
Share this article

Always up to date! News and offers delivered directly to you!

Get the best aviation news, stories and features from The Aviation Geek Club in our newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.



    Share this article
    Back to top
    My Agile Privacy
    This website uses technical and profiling cookies. Clicking on "Accept" authorises all profiling cookies. Clicking on "Refuse" or the X will refuse all profiling cookies. By clicking on "Customise" you can select which profiling cookies to activate. We and our selected ad partners can store and/or access information on your device, such as cookies, unique identifiers, browsing data. You can always choose the specific purposes related to profiling by accessing the advertising preferences panel, and you can always withdraw your consent at any time by clicking on "Manage consent" at the bottom of the page.

    List of some possible advertising permissions:

    You can consult: our list of advertising partners, the Cookie Policy and the Privacy Policy.
    Warning: some page functionalities could not work due to your privacy choices