Royal Swedish Navy press release – Translated by Naval News
Hunting submarines in the Baltic Sea is a difficult task due to factors such as temperature layers and bottom conditions. But it is nevertheless one of Sweden’s showpiece military branches.
The Royal Swedish Navy is responsible for monitoring and asserting Sweden’s maritime territory every day, all year round, both on the surface and underwater. It is assisted by the Air Force’s maritime task force helicopters, which contribute to both surface surveillance and anti-submarine warfare. The helicopter’s strength is to move quickly in search areas and surprise the enemy. In this way, the flying units complement the endurance of the ships.
Since the Swedish Armed Forces resumed helicopter submarine hunting in 2016, they have lacked an approved flight operations procedure for conducting missions after dark and in poor weather. This is because it is pitch black out at sea and therefore lacks visual clues. As a result, the crew cannot visually determine altitude or flight position, but must rely entirely on instruments when descending to the water’s surface.
New capability demonstrated for the first time
Since Sweden is located in a part of the world where it is dark for much of the year, it was a priority to develop a procedure to operate after dark or in zero visibility. That procedure was approved in 2021, and since then, crews from the Third Squadron Helicopter Flotilla have been trained in the elements of the procedure. The Fall 2023 naval exercise, held Oct. 11-18 in the Stockholm Archipelago and Lake Gotska, was the first time the new capability was incorporated into a major exercise.
“The platform, sensors and procedure we had in place for daylight submarine hunting have worked extremely well since we reintroduced the capability in 2016. Both the systems and the crews have long since matured to develop the capability in darkness.”
Division Chief Major Meijer
“However, we have approached this process with great humility and caution, while maintaining some momentum in the drive. As always, the top priority is to make sure everyone comes home safe and sound after each flight, but of course it means increased risk if we do not include visual cues,” the division chief continues.
Expanded Capabilities
The new capability also means that Navy helicopter operators are no longer so tied to weather, as the procedure can be used when the weather makes it impossible to maintain visual references. It provides expanded capabilities in other flight operations procedures that are preceded by a descent over the water surface.
“There are many people who have put a lot of work into this procedure over several years, and now we are finally ready. At all levels, from the Chief of the Air Force to the Chief of the Navy down to the lower ranks, there were many involved. Now we have one more card to play to achieve an operational effect in both the Air Force and the Navy.”
Henrik Fridolfsson, Deputy Squadron Commander of the Swedish Helicopter Flotilla’s 3rd squadron
