The Quest for Relevant Air Power

302 │ Swedish Air Force
Annah Lindh, in late 2003. 125 Yet as of 2004, rules of engagement
did not allow for rogue planes to be downed. 126 The SwAF also
maintained aerial readiness together with the Norwegian Air
Force, as was the case during the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council
Security Forum in Åre, Sweden, from 24 to 25 May 2005. Besides
fighter aircraft, Swedish S 100 Argus airborne early warning
aircraft were on station. 127
Courtesy Swedish Air Force; photo by Peter Liander
In the early 1990s, 13 SF 37 reconnaissance Viggens were upgraded to
the AJSF 37 standard.
Despite the rather relaxed situation, missions over the Baltic
Sea were not without risk in the 1990s. At the end of the Cold War,
the Soviets lost a fighter aircraft following a Swedish reconnaissance
Viggen, and on 16 October 1996, the SwAF lost a fighter
aircraft between the island of Gotland and Latvia. Executing a
low-level pass for identification of a Russian warship, the Viggen
collided with the water surface. 128
In the future, Swedish combat aircraft might not only be employed
in the aerial readiness role. With JAS 39 Gripens getting
readied for out-of-area interventions, Swedish aircraft are likely to
conduct operations across the spectrum of military force within the
framework of robust peace support operations. In the post–Cold
War era, Swedish decision makers have already proven that they are
willing to share risks. In mid-2003, during the EU operation Artemis
in the Democratic Republic of Congo, some 70–80 Swedish special