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Sweden and Finland have deepened their military integration, deploying JAS 39 Gripen fighters and stealth Visby-class corvettes to patrol Finland’s 1,340 km border with Russia. Backed by joint HIMARS acquisitions, domestic F-35 engine manufacturing in Finland, and Norwegian artillery deployments, the Nordic alliance is creating a unified NATO defense zone. Discover how cross-border air power and localized defense production are dismantling Moscow's strategic posture across the High North.
⏱️ CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Sweden Deploys Gripens and Visby Corvettes to Finnish Border
03:32 - JAS 39 Gripen and Stealth Corvette Capabilities
04:51 - Russian Military Infrastructure Buildup Along Finnish Border
07:18 - Sweden & Finland Joint HIMARS and PrSM Missile Strategy
09:58 - Patria Manufactures F-35 Engines in Major European Defense Hub Shift
11:23 - Finland Conducts WWII-Scale Civil Defense Preparedness Drills
13:15 - Norway Deploys K9 Howitzers and Chunmoo MLRS to Northern Border
15:36 - Kremlin Backlash and Allegations of "Great Finland" Expansionism
Support us directly as we bring you independent, up-to-date reporting on military news and global conflicts by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMilitaryShow/join
#militarystrategy #militarydevelopments #militaryanalysis
#themilitaryshow
SOURCES: https://pastebin.com/WEycwnxz
Sweden and Finland have deepened their military integration, deploying JAS 39 Gripen fighters and stealth Visby-class corvettes to patrol Finland’s 1,340 km border with Russia. Backed by joint HIMARS acquisitions, domestic F-35 engine manufacturing in Finland, and Norwegian artillery deployments, the Nordic alliance is creating a unified NATO defense zone. Discover how cross-border air power and localized defense production are dismantling Moscow's strategic posture across the High North.
⏱️ CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Sweden Deploys Gripens and Visby Corvettes to Finnish Border
03:32 - JAS 39 Gripen and Stealth Corvette Capabilities
04:51 - Russian Military Infrastructure Buildup Along Finnish Border
07:18 - Sweden & Finland Joint HIMARS and PrSM Missile Strategy
09:58 - Patria Manufactures F-35 Engines in Major European Defense Hub Shift
11:23 - Finland Conducts WWII-Scale Civil Defense Preparedness Drills
13:15 - Norway Deploys K9 Howitzers and Chunmoo MLRS to Northern Border
15:36 - Kremlin Backlash and Allegations of "Great Finland" Expansionism
Support us directly as we bring you independent, up-to-date reporting on military news and global conflicts by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMilitaryShow/join
#militarystrategy #militarydevelopments #militaryanalysis
#themilitaryshow
SOURCES: https://pastebin.com/WEycwnxz
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NewsTranscript
00:01Oh, how badly the Ukraine invasion has gone for Putin.
00:04He thought he was going to enjoy an easy win, and the rest of Europe would just have to deal
00:09with it.
00:09But over four and a half years he's watched as Ukraine resists, and perhaps even worse for Russia,
00:14nations that weren't an active threat to Russia integrate themselves into the NATO fold.
00:20Sweden and Finland are two of those nations.
00:22Both have joined NATO since Putin invaded Ukraine,
00:25and both are now clear threats to Russia's plans for what happens beyond Ukraine.
00:30And that threat just got bigger.
00:32Sweden and Finland have united, as Sweden has just sent warships and fighter jets to guard Finland's border with Russia.
00:39But this isn't just a basic weapons transfer.
00:42What we're now seeing is the start of a Nordic defense alliance that shatters Putin's dreams for the future.
00:48Towards the end of August, the news broke that Sweden is going to deploy JAS-39 Gripen fighter jets and
00:54several warships to Finland,
00:55with all of these military units being tasked with patrolling the Finnish border.
01:00The move reportedly comes following a direct request from Sweden,
01:04as it has spent the last year grappling with the aerial threats that stem from the war in Ukraine.
01:08Those threats extend from drones that have been diverted into Finnish airspace by electronic warfare
01:13to purposeful aerial incursions made by Russian aerial assets, designed to intimidate and manipulate the Finns.
01:20Putin thought he could force Finland to back down.
01:23But as has become a pattern since the Ukraine invasion,
01:26Finland has responded by making moves that show that it's willing to deal with the Russian threat head-on.
01:31Before we dig deeper, if real, human-made military reporting matters to you, subscribe and tell us what you think
01:37below.
01:38You can also become a member for exclusive content while directly supporting the work behind the channel.
01:44This latest deployment, which United24 media says may soon be followed by ground support,
01:49Swedish air defenses and counter-drone units later this year,
01:52was organized alongside NATO and is based on a bilateral defense agreement signed between Sweden and Finland.
01:59These two elements provide the legal framework needed for Sweden to deploy armed forces directly into Finland,
02:05essentially serving as the scissors slicing through the red tape that existed before.
02:09Finland's military has also issued a direct statement about the move, saying,
02:14The Swedish equipment strengthens air surveillance in particular,
02:17releasing the Finnish defense forces own resources for repelling violations and incidents if need be.
02:22For Finland, this is all about defending its border with Russia.
02:25That border stretches for 1,340 kilometers,
02:30and Finland is very aware that this means Russia has plenty of options for attempting military operations,
02:36from more aerial incursions to a ground invasion in the future.
02:39With this move, Swedish fighter jets can now operate under direct Finnish command, removing yet more red tape.
02:45Finland will be receiving several JAS-39 Grippens, which are some of Europe's top fighter jets,
02:51featuring advanced electronic warfare technology, including full spherical coverage.
02:56These jets are well suited to dealing with aerial threats emanating from Russia.
03:00They are fast, being capable of reaching Mach 2, and they cost $4,700 per flight hour to operate,
03:06which is less than any comparable fighter jet in the Western fleet.
03:09In the waters, Finland will also receive Visby-class warships from Sweden.
03:14These corvettes are world leaders in naval signature reduction, manufacturer Saab claims,
03:20and they have light hulls that allow them to exceed speeds of 35 knots.
03:24They are multi-role corvettes that are as suited to anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare
03:28as they are to carrying out patrols and deploying mine countermeasures.
03:32In short, these two pieces of equipment are the perfect choices for Finland as it deals with Russia amassing forces
03:38on its border.
03:39The Gripen, in particular, is well suited to operating in the Nordic environment.
03:43It was built with the idea that it may need to operate outside of large military bases,
03:48which would be obvious targets for Russia, both during the end of the Cold War period and today.
03:52So the Gripen is capable of taking off from relatively small locations, can move between smaller bases with ease,
03:58and it also plugs well into NATO's air defense network, enabling air policing.
04:03The jet can handle the full spectrum of aerial operations, from identifying and tracking threats,
04:08to engaging those threats when needed.
04:11The Gripen also carry meteor missiles, which makes them a clear threat to Russian bases.
04:16As for the Visby-class corvette, it's not just built to deal with the type of ship and submarine threats
04:21that Russia poses in Baltic and northern waters.
04:23Sweden has also been working on new sensor technology to enable its ships to detect small drones,
04:29which allow ship gunners to down those drones over the water.
04:32The Visby-class corvette has been equipped with that technology,
04:35which, when combined with the ship's stealth, makes it an excellent choice as an air defense asset,
04:40along with its obvious strengths as a naval asset.
04:43What Finland now has on its hands are assets that seem almost custom-designed for protecting its borders,
04:49and those borders need protecting.
04:51Russia's recent actions have made that very clear.
04:54Back in February, the Institute for the Study of War, or ISW,
04:58reported that Russia has started to build up its military infrastructure
05:01along the border it shares with Finland.
05:04Satellite images of the construction emerged,
05:06with the likelihood being that Russia is trying to prepare for a future conflict with NATO.
05:10As a border nation, Finland would require defending by NATO
05:14and could be used as a launch pad for NATO strikes inside Russia.
05:17For Putin, that means Finland is a threat, and Russia is building up to counter that threat.
05:22Among the border construction that we're now seeing are Soviet-era garrisons,
05:26that have been abandoned since the early 2000s, being regenerated for use by Russia's 44th Army Corps.
05:32Russia also appears to be building a new military town in Kandilaksha,
05:36which is in the Murmansk Oblast, about 115 kilometers away from the Finnish border, the ISW reports.
05:43There have already been some responses to this build-up within NATO.
05:46The Bloomsbury Intelligence and Security Institute notes that the UK will double the number of troops it has stationed in
05:52Norway from 1,000 to 2,000 over the next three years.
05:55However, Russia seems to be pushing ahead on the troop front.
05:58Russia has plans to strengthen its forces in Petrozavodsk, which is in Karelia.
06:04A base already exists there, containing 3,000 soldiers, but a garrison is now being built, suggesting that Russia plans
06:10to host 15,000 troops in Karelia in the future.
06:14Sweden's jets and warships are arriving at just the right time to help Finland build up its border defenses to
06:19counter this emerging Russian threat.
06:21Not that Finland isn't doing any work of its own.
06:23As the Kyiv Post reported on September 8, Finland has just completed work on a 200-kilometer security fence running
06:30along its border.
06:31Costing over $410 million, the fence includes the obvious physical barrier, with barbed wire running along the top, as well
06:38as patrol infrastructure and surveillance systems.
06:41Finland has also halted border crossings from Russia, citing the increased security threat that it faces.
06:46Of course, there's a long way to go for Finland's fence to provide full protection.
06:50Over 1,100 kilometers of border, to be blunt.
06:54But what we're seeing in all of this is the start of something big.
06:57For years, NATO has wanted to turn the Nordic region into a single operational base that can be used as
07:03part of its defensive posture against Russia.
07:05Now, we're seeing that happen.
07:08Finland and Sweden are working together as one, and there's more to all of this than that.
07:12You see, it's not just about warships and fighter jets, there are also rockets involved.
07:17On September 7, it was revealed that Sweden has signed a new HIMARS deal that will see it acquire 10
07:23new launchers from the US, along with a substantial quantity of ammunition.
07:28The deal, which is valued at $732 million, is part of Sweden's attempts to overhaul its long-range options.
07:34Again, Russia is the obvious target.
07:37But what makes this deal especially interesting is that it is closely tied to a rocket artillery pact that Sweden
07:42has made with Finland.
07:44According to Breaking Defense, Finnish officials were present when Swedish defense minister Paul Jonsson made the announcement.
07:51The Finns will also play a role in helping Sweden to get its new HIMARS capability online, so it's no
07:56big stretch to suggest that we may soon be seeing some of Sweden's new HIMARS launchers lining up on the
08:02Finnish border with Russia.
08:03As Jonsson puts it, the introduction of rocket artillery clearly demonstrates that Finland is taking responsibility for security in Europe.
08:11The joint declaration with Finland aims to boost capacity building, maintenance and security of supply for the systems.
08:17Together, we are developing important capabilities for NATO's collective defense.
08:22Before we move on, there's one more twist to this Swedish rocket tale to cover.
08:26In its report on Sweden's HIMARS deal, Defense Express revealed that Swedish defense company Saab has signed a couple of
08:33agreements with Lockheed Martin, which is the manufacturer of HIMARS.
08:37One of those deals will see the two companies cooperate on the development and integration of the ground-launched small
08:42-diameter bomb, along with other munitions for HIMARS.
08:45But even more interesting is an agreement between the two companies that will enable Saab to build PRISM long-range
08:52missiles in its own factories.
08:54These missiles have a range of around 500 kilometers, and it's looking like Sweden may have secured a deal to
08:59build as many of them as it and Finland might need.
09:02However, it's worth noting that this agreement hasn't been made official yet.
09:06So it's not just Finland and Sweden working together that's a problem for Russia, it's the fact that these two
09:12nations have realized that they are not only stronger together, but that they can buy and build more to make
09:18themselves even more powerful.
09:20Sweden has its jets, warships and HIMARS, Finland has its border fence.
09:24But Finland's contribution to this emerging Nordic defense line goes even deeper than that.
09:28Before we reveal how, this is a reminder that you're watching the military show.
09:32If you're getting valuable insight from our channel, don't forget to subscribe and enable notifications so you see more of
09:38our videos when they're released.
09:40Finland is doing a lot more than building a fence and cooperating with Sweden.
09:44It has its own deals in the pipeline, and it's also preparing its people for what the country seems to
09:49feel is an inevitable conflict with Russia.
09:52In a September 6th report, Newsweek declared that NATO has gained a new F-35 hub on border with Putin's
09:59Russia.
09:59Though that may make it seem that Finland has just amassed some F-35s on the border, that isn't the
10:04case.
10:05The news is even bigger than that.
10:07Finland has just built its very first F-35 fighter jet engine.
10:11Specifically, the defense company Patria completed the engine on September 3rd, and the implications of this are staggering.
10:18Now that Patria has proven that it knows what it's doing, it can integrate itself into NATO's F-35 production,
10:24minimizing the time required to bring new F-35s to NATO nations, as well as marking itself out as a
10:30company that can maintain and repair existing F-35 engines.
10:34Finland can also become an F-35 production hub, initially for Finland, but potentially for the rest of Europe.
10:40And Finland does happen to be building up its own F-35 fleet besides this.
10:45It has ordered 64 of the US-made stealth fighter jets, the first of which are expected to arrive later
10:51in 2026.
10:52Now, and at least until 2030, Patria can build engines for those jets and any others,
10:57which allows Finland and potentially Europe to disentangle themselves from the long wait times required when dealing directly with the
11:03US on engine-related issues.
11:06We are still not done with Finland playing its part in preparing for a Russian invasion of NATO.
11:10Finland has recognized that its own citizenry is as important as the military assets it and its allies bring to
11:16the table.
11:17Also in September, Finland staged the largest civil defense exercise to take place in Europe since World War II.
11:24The exercise, which took place between September 2 and 3 in Kuopio, involved more than 2,000 people who worked
11:31on drills,
11:32including the testing of the Luola Sports and Events Center in its secondary role as a defense shelter.
11:37The exercise involved a scenario where a cyber attack had disrupted critical infrastructure, including power and water supplies,
11:44in addition to a missile threat. Participants practiced evacuation drills as well as dealing with a situation where there were
11:51not enough beds for everybody
11:52and 2,000 people only had access to 60 dry toilets.
11:56Shift resting was practiced and participants also had the chance to visit information points that mimic those that Finland would
12:02set up if this scenario were happening for real.
12:05The goal in all of this isn't to have civilians ready to be engaged in fighting, should Russia invade.
12:11As retired Finnish Army colonel Aska Moonen notes,
12:15it's all about ensuring the citizens are prepared to accept responsibility for their own well-being as well as that
12:20of others,
12:21so they can work together to ensure whatever military action Finland needs to take can be as streamlined as possible.
12:27All of this is part of the historic shift in Finnish and Swedish defense postures since Putin invaded Ukraine.
12:33We touched on this in the introduction of the video.
12:36Putin's erratic and dangerous decision-making has pushed two nations into ending decades of military non-alignment
12:42and becoming part of the NATO fold.
12:45That's an important point.
12:46Though we're focusing on the cooperation between Sweden and Finland,
12:50as well as what both nations are doing alone, all of this ultimately benefits NATO.
12:55These two countries getting stronger means that NATO also becomes stronger,
12:58which will infuriate Putin as much as the actual actions being taken.
13:02This is a man who wants to create division.
13:05Instead, he has turned himself into the glue that is binding these nations together.
13:09And as if two Nordic countries working to counter Russian aggression wasn't bad enough for Putin,
13:14another has entered the fold.
13:16Norway.
13:17While Norway isn't directly working with Sweden and Finland yet,
13:21at least not in the way those two nations are cooperating,
13:23it's taking its own steps to boost NATO's Nordic defenses.
13:26According to the Kyiv Post, Norway has recently stationed an artillery battalion of four canine self-propelled howitzers,
13:33each with a range of 40 kilometers along its northern border with Russia.
13:37These howitzers are made in South Korea, and they're not the only weapons systems that the Norwegians are putting in
13:43place.
13:44Russia's foreign ministry also claimed on September 7th that Norway is in talks with the US to dispatch a missile
13:50system.
13:51All we know about that system is that it incorporates Mark 41-style launchers, per Reuters' September 7th report.
13:57And this is just the start.
13:59Norway plans to deliver another 24 K9s to its Finnmark brigade by the end of 2028,
14:06along with deploying 16 K239 Chunmu multiple launch rocket systems, which each have a range of 500 kilometers.
14:14An artillery battalion also seems likely to be created in the northern region of Troms.
14:19It's safe to say that Russia isn't happy about any of this.
14:23Speaking about Norway's moves, Putin's favorite mouthpiece Dmitry Peskov had plenty to say, stating,
14:28Certainly, such military buildup which is aimed at our country, Russia, cannot but be perceived as a threat to Russia's
14:35security.
14:35This is a reason to take additional measures to ensure our security.
14:39Our defense ministry, as well as other relevant services, are dealing with this.
14:43Vague as always, Mr. Peskov, this is basically a Kremlin tantrum over the fact that Norway isn't doing things the
14:49way that Russia thought it would,
14:51as Russia builds up its own border forces.
14:54Returning to Finland, Russian military expert Yuri Knutov has tried to claim that Russia's buildup near Finland serves no offensive
15:01purpose and instead has a defensive aim.
15:04He also accuses Finnish officials of hatching a plan to take over Karelia to create a Great Finland in revenge
15:10for what happened during World War II.
15:12Another supposed expert, Vasily Dandikin, tries to paint a picture of Finland having lost its way.
15:17By joining NATO, the Finnish leadership has made a serious mistake. Due to its neutrality, the country developed and had
15:24one of the highest living standards in the world.
15:26Now it's lost. There is even talk of attempting to restrain Finland and Sweden using tactical nuclear weapons.
15:33This sort of talk tells us one thing. Russia is scared. And it should be.
15:38Because both Finland and Sweden see through the nonsense these talking heads spout.
15:42They know that Russia is planning to go on the offensive and in some ways is already engaging.
15:47The reasons for the cooperation are obvious when you listen to what officials from both countries are saying.
15:52Antti Hakkinen, who is Finland's defense minister, has declared that Russia's imperialistic ambitions aren't going to end with Ukraine.
15:59Sweden's military intelligence is already warning of a high threat of Russian hybrid warfare.
16:04And according to Politico, the leader of Sweden's center-left Social Democratic Party is calling on the country's Prime Minister,
16:11Ulf Christensen, to take urgent action to address concerns that the far-right party with which Christensen has formed a
16:17coalition has been infiltrated by Russia ahead of Sweden's upcoming general election.
16:22Ulf Christensen must come clean about the security crisis. These are extremely serious allegations. Russia is the greatest threat to
16:29Sweden, Magdalena Andersson said in an interview with Politico.
16:33The point we're making here is that cooperation between Finland and Sweden isn't about some far-off threat.
16:39Both countries see Russia as a clear and present danger right now, and they're preparing for the worst-case scenario.
16:45They've realized something crucial. Together they stand, and divided, they fall.
16:50It may be an old cliché, but it's as true today as it ever was.
16:53Putin's modus operandi is to create division in whatever way he can to weaken his opponents.
16:58We see that happening in Sweden right now, assuming Andersson's claims are true.
17:03While those party political issues need to be handled internally, the issue of Nordic border security requires cooperation, both between
17:11the Nordic nations and between those nations and NATO.
17:13That's what we're seeing as Swedish fighter jets, warships, and more head to Finland.
17:18Two nations, united as one, to tackle a threat that is greater than either could handle alone.
17:23The Nordic nations are rewriting the rules of engagement in their territory.
17:27The same could be said of Ukraine in so many ways.
17:29As NATO strengthens by way of Finland and Sweden, it also watches in stunned delight, as Ukraine's genius tank strategy
17:37offers up a blueprint for how NATO could deal with Russia's ground forces.
17:41Find out what that strategy is by watching our video.
17:44But before you go, this channel is built by real people who care about getting the story right.
17:49Subscribe, join the conversation below, and consider becoming a member to support human-made, military reporting, and unlock exclusive content.
17:57And thank you, as always, for watching.
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