The admission of these 2 members will bring many military advantages to NATO in the air, at sea and on land, as well as in intelligence, said Jim Townsend, a former officer with the Pentagon and NATO.
Finland is one of the countries with the strongest air force in Europe.
“They are using F/A-18 fighters with the latest American weapons and will buy more F-35s,” Mr. Townsend said. Business Insider. The F-35 is an American 5th generation stealth fighter. Finland signed a multi-billion dollar deal to buy this vehicle.
Sweden has a fleet of Gripen fighters, which claim to be able to defeat the Russian Sukhoi. Sukhoi fighters are famous for their maneuverability in air battles, but Sweden insists its planes have the upper hand.
“Gripen, especially the E version, is designed to destroy Sukhoi”, Major General Mats Helgesson, former commander of the Swedish air force, said during the 2019 presentation. In particular, this aircraft is said to be the Very effective in electronic warfare.
On land, Finland possesses one of the strongest artillery forces in Europe, with about 1,500 different artillery systems. The country also maintains a relatively large and effective reserve force. According to the results of a survey conducted in December 2021, 90% of Finnish adult men and 84% of Finnish women said they are ready to join the defense of the country, reaching the highest proportion in Europe.
When it comes to wars in the Arctic and in the snow, “nobody can beat the Finns,” says Townsend.
Mr. Townsend stressed that both Sweden and Finland have navies that are “very professional and modern”. Swedish submarines have demonstrated their prowess in numerous sea exercises.
During the 2005 exercise, the HSMS Gotland – a Stirling-powered diesel submarine, approached and overwhelmed the USS Ronald Reagan – the US Navy’s $6.2 billion aircraft carrier, without being detected. . In subsequent exercises, Gotland also succeeded repeatedly, surpassing destroyers and nuclear attack submarines.
As a country bordering Russia, Finland will also significantly enhance NATO’s intelligence capabilities.
“NATO does not have its own intelligence capabilities that depend on its members, so Finland will play a big role. They still watch Russia cautiously and are more familiar with Russia than many other members of the alliance,” Townsend said.
Amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin and President Sauli Niinisto confirmed on May 15 that the country would apply for membership in NATO. “This is a historic day. A new era has begun,” Niinisto told reporters.
On May 16, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson confirmed that Sweden wanted to join NATO.
“There is a broad consensus in the Swedish Parliament about joining NATO. This is the best thing for Sweden’s security,” Ms Andersson said.
at Blogtuan.info – Source: Soha.vn – Read the original article here
