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| BALTIC MYSTERY. Swedish corvette HMS Stockholm patrols Jungfrufjarden in the Stockholm archipelago, Sweden, 20 October 2014. Anders Wiklund/EPA |
STOCKHOLM, Sweden – Sweden's armed forces chief warned Tuesday, October 21, it could use force to bring to the surface a suspected Russian mini-submarine its navy has been hunting for days as two new sightings of the vessel were revealed.Is this first picture of crippled Russian submarine near Stockholm? | Daily Mail Online
The new "observations" of the supposed "foreign" submarine were made on Monday, October 20, rear admiral Anders Grenstad said, after the country's top military commander declared it was ready to use "armed force" to bring the mystery vessel to the surface.
Battleships, minesweepers, helicopters and more than 200 troops have scoured an area about 30 to 60 km (20 to 40 miles) from the Swedish capital since Friday, October 17, following reports of a "man-made object" in the water.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2799091/sweden-steps-search-crippled-russian-submarine-making-mayday-distress-call-coast.html#v-3847825212001
Sweden’s submarine hunt: Echoes of the cold war | The Economist
Whether the submarine, if that is indeed what it is, will ever be found remains unlikely unless it is severely damaged. Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) is hard, and the Stockholm Archipelago provides plenty of places to hide from even the most advanced sensors and skilled operators. Moreover, since the end of the cold war, Sweden has neglected its ASW capabilities, even retiring its anti-submarine helicopters. Last year the country had a nasty surprise of another kind, when six Russian planes carried out a simulated missile attack on Stockholm without Swedish fighters even taking off. Defence gets just 1.2% of GDP and cracks are showing. On a visit this week to Estonia, whose airspace is constantly violated by Russian aircraft, Sweden’s new centre-left prime minister, Stefan Lofven, promised that defence spending will rise.
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| Areas where foreign underwater activity was detected. Source: Swedish Armed Forces |
The Swedish Armed Forces has established a likelihood that foreign underwater activities are being conducted in the Stockholm archipelago. It is the second highest verification on the Swedish Armed Forces' self-assessment scale, which means that the operation will continue. The Swedish Armed Forces' assessment is also based on a number of observations over the years in a specific area by the Kanholmsfjärden bay.
"I'm unable to comment on these observations in detail, but based on this pattern we can establish that this area is of interest to foreign powers", says Anders Grenstad.
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| The operation was said to be Sweden's largest mobilisation since the Cold War |
Stranger than Fiction: Soviet Submarine Operations in Swedish Waters - R3776.pdfThe Swedish military has called off its week-long search for a suspected submarine in the sea south of Stockholm, officials say.Naval vessels and planes have been searching the Stockholm archipelago for the last week, amid suspicions a Russian submarine was in trouble there.
Russia's defence ministry denied any of its ships were involved.
The vessel, whatever it was, is now believed to have left Sweden's territorial waters.
Russians (Soviet) Submarines have operated in Swedish waters before, continuously since WW2.
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