Air forces from Denmark, Finland, and Sweden conducted a coordinated operation over the Baltic Sea on Wednesday, 21 May, in a demonstration of growing Nordic cooperation and integrated NATO training.
The exercise, known as Nordic Combat Enhanced Training, involved Danish F-16s, Finnish F/A-18 Hornets, and Swedish JAS 39 Gripens. Aircraft operated under a shared framework for mission planning and execution, aimed at enhancing interoperability across air platforms, maintenance, and operational procedures.
Finnish aircraft deployed to Ronneby Air Base in Sweden for the exercise, where mechanics from both Finland and Sweden carried out cross-servicing tasks. This component of the training showcased the application of Agile Combat Employment (ACE), a concept that enables flexible use of dispersed bases and supports rapid sustainment of operations in contested environments.
Conducted under the Nordic Airpower Concept (NAPC), the exercise also included shared command elements, a common Nordic Air Tasking Order, and coordinated air operations involving both dynamic and pre-planned targeting. Joint Tactical Air Controllers were embedded as part of the integration.
“The security situation and expectations demand swift transition from planning to action,” said Colonel Carl-Fredrik Edström of the Swedish Air Force, who leads the Nordic division at the Norwegian Joint Air Operations Centre. “This training drives our cooperation forward. We have tested key conditions for virtual collaboration and shown we are on course for Nordic Air Forces fighting as one.”
The NAPC aims to increase regional airpower effectiveness by harmonising national capabilities under a shared operational model. This latest effort forms part of a broader push to enhance the collective defence posture of NATO’s northern flank following the accession of Finland and Sweden to the alliance.
