Neptune Strike 23 targets

Neptune Strike 23 was launched in the middle of gray November weather on Polish soil. The Swedish Navy participated with JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controller) and fire chiefs from Kustjägar and Amfibiekompaniet, all from Stockholm’s Amfibieregemente, Amf1. Along with American and Polish forces, ground target combat was practiced with fighter jets.

– The management of fighter jets against ground targets along with other nations is virtually sleepless as tactics and procedures are at NATO standards, meaning that everyone trained for JTAC faces the same goals and requirements. “We are used to working with Americans from Amf1, but the Polish colleagues were new and a very positive experience,” says Sgt. JTAC from the Coast Guard.

In the past year, the Baltic Sea has been characterized by several vandalism. The gas leak in Nord Stream 1 and 2 and the damage to the Finnish-Estonian underwater pipelines are being taken very seriously by Sweden and NATO. Neptune Strike 23 is one of the exercises that will give NATO and partner nations the opportunity to demonstrate their strength and capabilities in defending the Baltic Sea and surrounding partner nations. From the Swedish armed forces, the army participated with paratroopers and air force fighter jets, giving an additional dimension of cooperation between the Swedish defense branches.

– The exercise went amazingly flawlessly in all respects, a credit to the Army and our friends in the Paratroopers who were mainly responsible for planning the exercise, continues Sergeant B.

Exercises such as these are needed to maintain strong security, develop capabilities, and share knowledge with NATO that will benefit the security of partner nations in and around the Baltic Sea. The Neptune Strike initially began with a thorough review of the air capabilities the Swedish units were unaccustomed to working with, then developed into a long offensive phase and was closely followed by fighter jets from Great Britain, Poland and Spain. JTAC and fire chiefs were challenged in their new skills and had to work with different flying platforms.

– A good practice for fighting alongside other nations and soon allies. It’s always interesting how much you learn from collaborating with colleagues from other countries, Sergeant B concludes.