Finnish and Swedish fighter jets were deployed together for the first time to identify Russian military aircraft in international airspace, the Finnish Air Force said.
The mission was part of recent deeper cooperation between the two newest members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization announced in late August with the goal of protecting Finnish territorial integrity.
Led by the Finnish Air Force, the nation’s F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets and Swedish JAS 39 Gripens intercepted and identified a detachment of Russian transport aircraft and warplanes over the Gulf of Finland on Thursday, according to a statement Friday.
“This is what close cooperation looks like in practice,” Commander of the Swedish Air Force Jonas Wikman said in the statement. “We can now operate seamlessly together.”
Concerns over the threat from Russia have spiked over recent weeks after Germany blamed Moscow for a failed drone attack at Leipzig airport. On Thursday, Denmark warned of a growing risk of a limited attack on a NATO nation.
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Bloomberg news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
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