Swedish warship joins historic Finland-led operation

Sweden’s HMS Helsingborg is patrolling the Gulf of Finland under Finnish command in a first-of-its-kind operation, SVT reports. The Swedish crew’s mission is to “hold the border” for Finland.

The Visby-class corvette is the first Swedish warship to serve under Finnish command. The operation began this week and is described by Sweden’s navy as historic.

Swedish Navy Operations Chief Paula Wallenburg said the security situation in the Baltic Sea is tense but stable. She said the operation would increase readiness for a more serious situation.

The decision was made in late August, after Finland requested support amid recurring drone incidents and airspace violations. Swedish fighter aircraft and warships are taking part in the operation, which will continue through the autumn.

Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen said the cooperation is intended to prepare for potential threats to territorial integrity, including drone incursions.

Finnish Navy Operations Chief Johan Tillander said HMS Helsingborg’s surveillance capabilities make it well suited to monitoring air and sea traffic in the Gulf of Finland. Decisions on how to respond to an approaching foreign drone are made by Finland. The ship’s commander has some authority to act in self-defence, while other decisions go through a chain of command up to the defence minister, Tillander said.