BACK TO BASICS? COLLECTIVE DEFENCE AND THE BALTIC AIR POLICING MISSION
BACK TO BASICS? COLLECTIVE DEFENCE AND THE BALTIC AIR POLICING MISSION

Summary/Abstract: On 30 March 2013, Russian strategic bombers and fighter escorts approached Swedish airspace, carrying out simulated attacks on Swedish military and civilian installations. When the Swedish military failed to respond, responsibility for intercepting the Russian aircraft ultimately fell to NATO’s Baltic Air Policing Mission. This incident may have serious implications for efforts to secure NATO airspace. Navigating the complexities of NATO-Sweden relations, this article proposes a number of means by which the relationship can be improved and also by which NATO’s capacity to respond to future incursions by suspicious aircraft in the Baltic region can be reinforced. The author also seeks to dispel misperceptions about the capabilities of the Russian Federation Air Force, emphasising that the far greater challenge currently facing the Alliance is ensuring adequate burden sharing among NATO member states and partner countries.

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