Nordic nations agree to jointly operate fighter jet fleet of 250

The air forces of four Nordic countries agreed on a goal of operating their roughly 250 fighter jets as one fleet.

The air force commanders of Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark signed a declaration of intent on March 16 on deeper cooperation, according to statements by the Finnish and Danish forces published Thursday and Friday, respectively.

“The ultimate goal is to be able to operate seamlessly together as one force by developing a Nordic concept for joint air operations based on already known NATO methodology,” Denmark’s air force said.

The cooperation will encompass integrated command and control, operational planning and execution, flexible deployment of forces, joint airspace surveillance and training.

Norway and Denmark are already members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and Finland expects to join within weeks after seeking entry into the military alliance in May last year together with Sweden.

While Sweden is facing a delay due to resistance from Turkey and Hungary, it’s expected to be admitted eventually.