- Jul 23, 2018
- 4,187
TOP SECRET
Brazzaville
January 2002
The flight data recorder would be recovered from the aircraft in a somewhat reasonable condition albeit, given the fact the aircraft was a highly classified surveillance aircraft of which the international community were not even aware of its existence, any data within the box which may compromise national security would obviously not be recorded permanently. Data recoverable would include the altitude, bearing and speed, alongside various in-flight pilot operations conducted however any data relating to the use of surveillance equipment, flight path or aircraft identification would be erased or heavily encrypted, unrecoverable by Congolese authorities. Needless to say the aircraft itself did not bare any resemblance to an ordinary Swedish Air Force aircraft with the airframe being entirely black and not adopting any obvious identification codes or symbols.
Given the continued reluctance from the authorities in the Congo to enable civilian investigators from the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority access to the wreckage or any information surrounding it's meeting with the ground, and the obvious inability for the Swedish government to publicly demand access on the basis this highly classified mission was now compromised, the decision for continued close surveillance of the Congo was made. The Department of Defence issue the immediate deployment of HSwMS Forseti, a Dupuy-de-Lôme-class Intelligence Vessel from the Swedish Royal Navy, South African and Antarctic Command, 5th Naval Warfare Flotilla. Within Saldanha Naval Base a total of 108 personnel would board the vessel to begin pre-deployment checks of all systems, sensors, countermeasures and weapon systems - the vessel would be fully fuelled and stocked with essentials for the operation which included the necessary ammunition for the two 12.7 mm M2 Browing machine guns onboard. At the same time as this, on Ascension Island, a Sachsen-class Frigate (HSwMS Borgholm) would undergo similar preparations with the plan for both vessels to meet outside Congolese waters.
Once ready, HSwMS Forseti would travel via JG > JH > JI. Throughout it's journey the crew would constantly monitor on-board systems whilst it operated under a heightened level of security.
Brazzaville
January 2002
The flight data recorder would be recovered from the aircraft in a somewhat reasonable condition albeit, given the fact the aircraft was a highly classified surveillance aircraft of which the international community were not even aware of its existence, any data within the box which may compromise national security would obviously not be recorded permanently. Data recoverable would include the altitude, bearing and speed, alongside various in-flight pilot operations conducted however any data relating to the use of surveillance equipment, flight path or aircraft identification would be erased or heavily encrypted, unrecoverable by Congolese authorities. Needless to say the aircraft itself did not bare any resemblance to an ordinary Swedish Air Force aircraft with the airframe being entirely black and not adopting any obvious identification codes or symbols.
Given the continued reluctance from the authorities in the Congo to enable civilian investigators from the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority access to the wreckage or any information surrounding it's meeting with the ground, and the obvious inability for the Swedish government to publicly demand access on the basis this highly classified mission was now compromised, the decision for continued close surveillance of the Congo was made. The Department of Defence issue the immediate deployment of HSwMS Forseti, a Dupuy-de-Lôme-class Intelligence Vessel from the Swedish Royal Navy, South African and Antarctic Command, 5th Naval Warfare Flotilla. Within Saldanha Naval Base a total of 108 personnel would board the vessel to begin pre-deployment checks of all systems, sensors, countermeasures and weapon systems - the vessel would be fully fuelled and stocked with essentials for the operation which included the necessary ammunition for the two 12.7 mm M2 Browing machine guns onboard. At the same time as this, on Ascension Island, a Sachsen-class Frigate (HSwMS Borgholm) would undergo similar preparations with the plan for both vessels to meet outside Congolese waters.
Once ready, HSwMS Forseti would travel via JG > JH > JI. Throughout it's journey the crew would constantly monitor on-board systems whilst it operated under a heightened level of security.