Posted on 01/13/2008 4:31:54 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
Financial crisis rocks Swedish military
Published: 12 Jan 08 10:35 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/9635/
Sweden's armed forces are mulling extensive cutbacks as a deepening economic crisis looms in 2008.
The cost of running the Armed Forces is expected to exceed the military budget by between 1 and 1.5 billion kronor, Svenska Dagbladet reports.
Lietenant General Jan Salestrand confirmed that the military was experiencing considerable financial problems.
"I want to underline the fact that we are sticking to our allocation and looking after our finances - but this also means that we have to put measures in place to reduce our ambitions and operations," he told Svenska Dagbladet.
The military is weighing up drastic action in its bid to balance the books, with new directives scheduled to be sent out to its various units next week.
Measures under consideration include: terminating the contracts of soldiers in the Nordic Battlegroup in August; grounding 40 percent of fighter plane pilots; mothballing half of all JAS Gripen planes; reducing the size of military units; introducing shorter training periods for new recruits.
"We underestimated the costs of developing the Armed Forces into a mission-based force," said Jan Salestrand in a statement.
TT/The Local (news@thelocal.se/08 656 6518)
There was a short article in the latest Shotgun News about the Suomi SMG and it’s role in the war against the Russians.
Good pictures of brave soldiers with the m/31 and m/31 SJR.
I do have a soft spot in my heart for the later Carl Gustaf Model 1945.
Is this from The Onion?? Swedish MILITARY sounds like a joke!
Psg 90, in 7.62 mm NATO
The Russians don’t think so.
They may have liberal governments and play social games with the military but they can be fierce fighters when you get them fired up.
Good to know.
When was the last time they were fired up? Instead of training to project force they should be training their military in urban guerrilla warfare with emphasis on defending against the homicide bomber.
The cost of running the Armed Forces is expected to exceed the military budget by between 1 and 1.5 billion kronor, Svenska Dagbladet reports.
No problem, all they have to do is ask the Americans for it!
So it’s too expensive to maintain boy scouts?
“So it’s too expensive to maintain boy scouts?”
The “boy scouts” you apparently like to insult are deployed in Afghanistan, facing AQ, and some of them died there in the conflict...
Many would think it’s reason enough to show at least some respect - and in this respect you might want to join the majority.
The Swedes are not fighting Al-Qaeda aggressively in Afghanistan unlike the Americans, the Brits, the Canadians, the Dutch and the Aussies.
“The Swedes are not fighting Al-Qaeda aggressively in Afghanistan unlike the Americans, the Brits, the Canadians, the Dutch and the Aussies.”
The Sweedish soldiers are over there, while you, Mister, are not. That alone should earn them a little respect from you. The Swedes have suffered KIAs in Afghanistan.
As for Swedish action in Afghanistan : a group of Swedish soldiers was attacked on Tuesday in northern Afghanistan by locals armed with handguns, mines and and handheld rocket-launchers. The Swedish troops returned fire and no Swedes were reported injured, according to a statement from the Armed Forces.
http://www.thelocal.se/article.php?I...&date=20060912
Another link with some info
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2004/oef.casualties/
Stay well Atlantic Friend
Northern Afghanistan is relatively peaceful and is the home base of the Northern Alliance, the group that overthrew the Taliban in 2001.
I'll give the Swedes some credit along with their continential allies for serving in Afghanistan, however they are serving in a police action rather than in an actual war in Southern Afghanistan..
Canadians, for example have their bases in Southern Afghanistan, where the Taliban is located.
Might want to take another look.
Can't they just borrow more money from the Chinese like we do?
God help me, I have a mental image of a mustachioed, wild-browed Muppet in combat uniform, singing as he loads one of those things, and then he swings it up to his shoulder and as he fires, chants “Bork! Bork! Bork!”
“Is this from The Onion?? Swedish MILITARY sounds like a joke!”
Sweden’s military is actually highly regarded by NATO forces. Small, professional, and well equipped. The problem is that Sweden has traditionally developed all their own arms, including fighters. But with a population base of only 9 million, they don’t have the tax or industrial base to develop big ticket weapons anymore. The Gripen may well by the last domestically produced fighter, unless major export customers can be found. This is unlikely, because the Gripen, great as it is, just isn’t cost competitive against American planes like the F-16 or F-18. Even other European fighters tend to be cheaper.
Police action or actual war - if somebody shoots at you you’ll duck. I guess it’s human nature. :-)
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