Sweden to Participate in Jet Exercises With NATO Members

The Arctic Challenge Exercise 2015 is one of the largest of its kind. Six of the countries engaged are NATO member states, including the United States, Britain, Norway, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

Multinational jet exercises, the Arctic Challenge Exercise 2015 (ACE-15), will start on May 25 in Sweden, Norway and Finland.

It is one of the largest of its kind and will involve nine countries, 115 aircraft and nearly 3,600 personnel, and will run for 11 days.

Six of the countries engaged are NATO member states, including the United States, Britain, Norway, France, Germany and the Netherlands. The other participants are Switzerland, Sweden and Finland.

In Sweden, the ACE-15 will take place in the country’s north, in the province of Vasterbotten.

The Left Party of Sweden has strongly opposed the exercises due to NATO involvement. Jonas Sjostedt, leader of the party, said in an interview that Sweden is increasingly considered a NATO country by other nations.

"It’s hard to ignore the advantages we can take from our non-alliance status. We are independent to conduct our foreign policy. We also have the possibility to fight for peace and disarmament. NATO is an alliance of states with nuclear weapons, but we don’t want any nuclear weapons," the politician said.

He also claims that now the north of Sweden is increasingly used as a training ground for military drills.