[Sweden]: Operation Ekanite

[Connor]

CLASSIFIED - SECRET - OFFICIAL OPERATION ORDER (SWOPOR)​

SWEDISH DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE
SWEDISH ARMED FORCES HEADQUARTERS, STOCKHOLM
OPERATION ORDER
AUGUST 2006​

OPERATION EKANITE
COPY 1 OF 1

*** START MESSAGE ***





1. SITUATION REPORT

The integrity of Scandinavian airspace has always been of substantial priority to the Kingdom of Sweden and particular investment has been made to ensure and retain a strengthened capability in this particular sector of defence. March 1995 marked a particular incursion into allied airspace, by the Russian Armed Forces, which identified clear concern for military operations in the region. The quick reaction of the Swedish Armed Forces deterred any hostile act and was of huge success. Over a decade later the Swedish Royal Air Force is to commit to air superiority in the subregion. Fluctuating governance in Russia has drawn natural concern to the Russia-Norway border, particularly with a Brattholmen hosting a Temporary Operating Position: 'TOP Kunes' part of the Swedish Strategic Defence Network. A key site to domestic defence.​

2. MISSION

Deployment of aerial assets to the Russia-Norway border with the primary purpose of airspace penetration and reconnaissance. Deployed assets are to gather intelligence in relation to infrastructure of note which may identify a possible risk to national security, the response from the Russian Armed Forces and report back. Any interception or contact from the Russian Armed Forces should be tested, verified and compliant with international law. Normal escalation of force applies.​

3. BELLIGERENTS

Kingdom of Sweden​

v.​

Russian Federation​

4. OBJECTIVE(S)

OE/1/PP/06 - Primary maintenance tasks, pre-deployment ammunition provision and supply of essential services/assets.​

OE/1/DA/06 - Deployment of aerial assets to TOP Kunes, Brattholmen, Norway.​

5. LIVE DEPLOYMENT

Swedish Royal Air Force​

Norrbotten Air Force Wing​

3rd Fighter Squadron​

1st Fighter Flight​

[2x] Active Personnel​

[2x] Saab JAS 39E Gripen​

​

5th Air Control Squadron​

1st Air Control Flight​

[6x] Active Personnel​

[1x] Saab 340 AEW&C​

6. DISPENSED DEPLOYMENT​

Nothing to report​

7. CASUALTY REPORT​

Nothing to report​

*** END MESSAGE ***​

Zak​

 

[Connor]

OPERATION EKANITE
Luleå Air Base, Sweden
08/06 03:41 Zulu

Operation Ekanite was one of the riskiest operations the Reinfeldt Administration had authorised and one the Department of Defence was keen to go without failure. The operation would not only test the capability of the Swedish Royal Air Force and it's pilots in a high-stress high-risk mission but also the response of Russia which would serve as key intelligence for geopolitics going forward. Little information was known by intelligence services surrounding the capabilities of Russia, particularly the most recent government whose intentions and ideology were largely unknown in Europe. Nonetheless, the operation would proceed, with an eagle eye from high command.

Early in the morning at Luleå Air Base in the near-polar northern region of Sweden, the Saab 340 would sit within its hardened aircraft shelter under the intense, almost spooky, downcast of the sodium-vapor lights within. A giant in its cave. The freezing temperatures littered the aircraft in patches of frost, clinging to its paintwork despite the slowly rising temperatures as dawn approached. Despite this, the ground crew worked tirelessly preparing the aircraft for the mission: refuelling, countermeasures replenishment, sensor and system tests and airframe checks. The crew would meticulously work through the checklists before the aircraft was de-iced and pushed back out of the hangar following the final thumbs-up from the lead technician. The beacons, strobes and lights of the aircraft glowing off the hardened concrete floor below. Six active personnel sat within the aircraft manning the various systems within whilst the aircraft bumped its way down the taxi-ways. The aircraft would don the name VIKING-ONE for this mission.

VIKING-ONE would soon meet the runway and once giving the all clear from Air Traffic Control would push the throttle forward to roar down the length of the tarmac, generating enough lift to climb into the darkness of the sky. Once at an appropriate cruising altitude the aircraft would level off, retaining a passive mode of operation as they began the early collection of electromagnetic signatures, atmospheric reflections and any spikes in nearby radar patterns - the crew remaining in regular encrypted contact via their headsets within the aircraft.

Meeting them in the snow-draped forests of Sweden at two Saab JAS 39E Gripen, having met a similar level of pre-flight checklists on the ground and each laden with an ALQ-TLS electronic countermeasures pod, two AIM-120 AMRAAM and two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles - the Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon would also have met a total replenishment of ammunition. The positioning of these pods done so with weight balance in mind. The aircraft would don the names WOLF-ONE and WOLF-TWO and tasked with the protection of the early warning aircraft.

Once in the sky, the Gripens would race over the snow clad hills, climbing up to 100ft AGL to meet that of VIKING-ONE. Their climb was effortless however despite their endeavours within Swedish aircraft they pilots onboard would have their eyes glued to their canopy, watching terrain-following systems dance across their HUD. One they were ahead of VIKING-ONE they'd assume aerial command for the mission.

"WOLF-ONE, leg one, mark plus sixty seconds" the pilot would mutter across encrypted radio channels as the aircraft flew directly towards the Sweden-Finland border which was home to the Tarvantovaara Wilderness Area - their time in their airspace would be minimal before crossing into Norway destined for TOP Kunes, Brattholmen - Swedish territory.

Whilst the deployment was refined to Scandinavia thusfar the aircraft would operate within KP - KQ.

Zak

 

[Connor]

CLASSIFIED - TASA MILITARY ACTIVITY ALERT​

SWEDISH DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE
SWEDISH ARMED FORCES HEADQUARTERS, STOCKHOLM
ACTIVE MESSAGE
AUGUST 2006​

ACTIVE MESSAGE
CLASSIFIED DATA ENCLOSED
NOT AUTHORISED FOR DISSEMINATION


*** START MESSAGE ***






MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, UNITED KINGDOM
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

EUROPEAN THEATRE ACTIVE WARNING
MESSAGE OF ADVANCED WARNING DENOTING THE SWEDISH ARMED FORCES OPERATING ASSETS WITHIN IN THE FOLLOWING DEFINED REGIONS:

1: LAPLAND, SWEDEN
2: FINNMARK, NORWAY​

DEFINED REGIONS INCLUDE RECOGNISED SECTORS 'KP' (KILO PAPA) AND 'KQ' (KILO QUEBEC).

AERIAL MILITARY ASSETS OPERATING LAWFUL MILITARY ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE NATIONAL AIRSPACE AND WITH DUE REGARD AS REQUIRED BY THE CONFINES OF INTERNATIONAL LAW. OPERATIONAL ORDERS DESIGNATED CLASSIFICATION 'SECRET' IN ACCORDANCE WITH SWEDISH DOMESTIC LAW.

RECIPIENTS TO OPERATE WITH DUE REGARD. PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE.







*** END MESSAGE ***

Jamie Odinson

 

[Odinson]

Top Secret​

The National Military Command Center at the Pentagon received the priority message from Sweden. The NMCC and DoD did not know what the operation was that Sweden was engaging in, nevertheless the warning of Sweden operating in the spaces it designated were notated. U.S. Forces in Europe - especially the U.S. Air Force operating out of the United Kingdom - was securely informed to avoid the area designated by Sweden unless otherwise ordered to do so. A message of receipt was sent within fifteen minutes.​

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​

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NATIONAL MILITARY COMMAND CENTER​

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ENCRYPTED MESSAGE​

** START MESSAGE ** START MESSAGE ** START MESSAGE **​

URGENCY: PRIORITY

CCEB PRECEDENCE: FLASH - IMMEDIATE - PRIORITY

TO: SWEDISH ARMED FORCES HEADQUARTERS, STOCKHOLM ( Connor )
FROM: NATIONAL MILITARY COMMAND CENTER - THE PENTAGON

MESSAGE HAS BEEN RECEIVED AND COMMUNICATED TO U.S. FORCES IN EUROPE.

** END MESSAGE ** END MESSAGE ** END MESSAGE **​

​

​

 

[Zak]

​

CLASSIFIED
The cold glow of monitors reflected off the pale faces of the night shift crew inside the Voronezh early warning radar bunker at Olenegorsk Radar Station. Beneath layers of reinforced concrete and steel, the faint hum of high-frequency generators was a constant presence, almost soothing in its mechanical predictability. But this morning, the pattern broke.

Sergeant Major Leonid Sokolov squinted at his scope, the pulsing radar return subtly shifting. A faint signature had bloomed in the far northwest edge of their grid, small, but deliberate. He leaned closer.

"Contact. Bearing 312. Initial track at 2,500 meters altitude, climbing steadily. Velocity 400 knots. No civilian transponder... profile resembles AEW&C class," he muttered, his fingers dancing over the console to refine the signal.

The green phosphor glow sharpened the target, resolving further detail.

Junior Lieutenant Irina Morozova adjusted the spectrum filter beside him. Her soft voice broke the silence.

"Confirmed emissions, passive sweep mode, wide-band signal signature. It’s probing for EM spectrum reflections. Saab 340 AEW platform. Swedish markings likely, but running dark... no IFF ping. They're hiding, but they want to be seen."

Another blip flickered into existence. Then a second.

"Escort package. Two light combat aircraft in wing formation. Fighters. JAS 39 Gripens, most probable. Low radar cross-section, ALQ-TLS pods active, confirming ECM emissions. Positioning suggests a protective screen for the AEW bird," she said, more alert now, posture straightening.

Across the room, Captain Zubarev, the shift commander, stepped forward to the main screen, arms crossed.

"They're skirting the Swedish-Finnish border. No deviation yet... but they're climbing toward a surveillance corridor. This is no routine patrol. Notify command immediately."

One of the younger operators reached for the secured phone. A red light blinked as he connected directly to the Western Military District HQ in Saint Petersburg.

"Command, Olenegorsk Radar Station reporting. Foreign military formation detected on vector three-one-two. AEW&C support with fighter escort. Speed and altitude consistent with potential Swedish Royal Air Force configuration. Likely probing operation. Request interception authorization, scramble protocol initiated."

Sokolov exchanged a glance with Morozova. The air in the bunker, once calm, had grown tense. Quiet, but tight like stretched cable. This was no exercise.

"Scramble order confirmed," came the reply.

The glow of the Voronezh-M radar pulsed with cold certainty as the Swedish aircraft continued their slow dance far to the west.

“Targets maintaining course. Altitude steady. Aircraft tracking nominal, no deviation,” Senior Lieutenant Pavel Denisovich reported.

He tapped the data feed to Northern Command, transmitting a full update package. Next to him, Chief Warrant Officer Morozov’s jaw tightened as he read the fresh instruction codes blinking onto the screen.

“Message from Severomorsk High Command, place Amderma-2 Air Base on standby, category one standby. Su-27 pair to be armed, fueled, and manned in cockpit. Full afterburner scramble on direct order. Weapons free upon violation warning.”

A low murmur ran through the radar pit.

“Full loadout?” Pavel asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Confirmed. R-27 and R-73 loadout. Cannons live. Centerline fuel pod plus wing tanks. Ground crews ordered to ready the Flankers for Arctic intercept. Pilots to cockpit immediately.”

In the frozen dark of Rogachevo, the scene was already unfolding.

Twin hangar doors rumbled open, grinding against the ice as two massive Su-27 fighters sat gleaming beneath harsh arc lights, paintwork frostbitten by the polar cold, their twin engines coughing clouds of condensed vapor into the air.

The lead aircraft bore the markings of "Red 23", its silhouette menacing and sleek against the white landscape. Each wing loaded with R-27R medium-range air-to-air missiles, wingtip pylons fitted with R-73 Archers, and a full complement of cannon ammunition slung beneath its belly.

A crew chief gave a thumb-up signal as the engines spun to idle.

Inside the cockpit, Captain Sergei Karpov, flexed his gloved fingers around the stick.

“Final arming check complete. Fuel tanks full. ECM pod functional. Target tracking codes loaded into IRST and radar suite. We’re good to launch on order,” he said sharply over the comms.

His wingman, Lieutenant Viktor Lebedev, grunted beside him in “Red 24”, eyes sharp behind the HUD.

"Two minutes to scramble, Captain. Let the Swedes take one step too far... I want to be the first to say hello."

Karpov chuckled bitterly.

“Watch and wait, Viktor. As soon as Severomorsk gives the word, we’re off this ice like hawks from a cliff. These Western flies forget this sky belongs to us.”

Back in the bunker, the Voronezh screen pulsed slowly.

“Targets holding course... no deviation... but we watch,” Pavel said, voice quiet.

Morozov smirked coldly, watching the data feeds from Amderma-2 flicker online.

“Su-27s fueled. Weapons hot. Pilots in cockpit. Two minutes to air at most. Let the Swedes play near the border... and they’ll meet our Flankers face to face.”

“Good,” Irina Kovalyova muttered from the ELINT console. “Let them see that Russia waits, not blind, not deaf. Ready.”

For now, the radar swept the sky in silence.

But deep in the north, in the cold heart of Rogachevo, two fighters burned quietly in the dark, fully armed, fueled, and eager.

Waiting for the order.

Connor

 

[Connor]

CLASSIFIED
VIKING-ONE would hold a steady orbit just short of west of the Finnish border, almost as if it were a hawk in the dusk, floating through the calm air of the upper troposphere. Inside the aircraft, the well versed crew would make use of the various touchscreens and analog switches with disciplined prescision calibrating and recalibrating antenna sweeps and passive listening arrays. One thing was clear though: no response from Russia yet. This wasn't unexpected, especially given that Sweden was pretty much within its own airspace or traversing that of an ally, so the lack of Russian activity was expected, they had nothing they would be able to justify responding to yet.

Nonetheless, slightly below and head of them, WOLF-ONE and WOLF-TWO would cut through the dry Artic air humming with their restrained violence as they danced across the jagged hills of Lapland and over the Tarvantovaara Wilderness where the terrain began to shift. The aggressive landscape soon turned into undulating valleys which they would absolutely use to their advantage. Any plotting of the aircraft as a result of radar interception would soon become difficult as they traversed the peaks and troughs of the region - landscapes which almost appeared manmade. The route was meticulously plotted: eat over Finnish Lapland, skirting the edge of Norway, and slicing into the far northeast of Russian territory for mere moments - enough to provoke a response, but short enough to deny escalation.

"WOLF-ONE, checkpoint Bravo" was muttered through encrypted communications with a clipped, flat voice as the Gripen bucked in the wind shear. In the distance, a faint amber glow decorated the polar night, reflecting across the ice-clad peaks.

Behind them, VIKING-ONE vectored slightly westward in order to direct itself direct for Brattholmen, Norway where Sweden had, for many years, retained a Temporary Operating Position. This base was positioned on sovereign territory of the Kingdom of Sweden and was soon to receive investment to further establish the Swedish Strategic Defence Network with the consideration of developing threats: of which Russia was considered one of a few. Nonetheless, the intent with VIKING-ONE was for it to remain within Swedish legal boundaries, giving the aircraft of huge technological advancement safe haven from any hostile action, but close enough to give unquestionable support to additional assets within the mission.

From within the AEW&C aircraft, an analyst would watch the ELINT returns spike in real-time as Russian systems repeatedly struck against the aircrafts fuselage and attached monitoring systems and sensors. "Multiple low-frequency pings from the east. Passive array confirms one distinct source" she would beckon to the commanding officer before mumbling to herself as she leans into her screens.

WOLF-ONE and WOLF-TWO would continue their transit direct for the Russia-Norway border. They had some distance to go yet, but they remained poised on their HUD, not out of fear but out of pure focus. As they cross invisible international boarders the flight computer would echo through the cockpit with a sharp tone to inform the pilots. The sky remained silent so far, but they weren't so inexperienced to think it would remain that way.

Zak

 

[Zak]

CLASSIFIED
The cold, stale air of the radar control room hummed with suppressed fury. Rows of consoles flickered green in the gloom, the Voronezh radar screens casting pale light onto the strained faces of the operators inside.

“Contact maintained. Saab 340, holding pattern. Altitude thirty-two thousand feet. Stationary orbit west of the Finnish line. No deviation.” Senior Lieutenant Pavel Denisovich reported coldly, the muscle in his jaw twitching.

“Still sniffing,” added ELINT specialist Irina Kovalyova, glancing sideways at her console. “Signal spikes every sweep. Their antenna arrays are live, probing, searching, tracking us. They’re pushing their passive gear to the limit. They know exactly what they’re doing. Bastards are trying to measure our northern coverage.”

Behind her, Chief Warrant Officer Morozov barked a curse under his breath, cracking his knuckles loud enough to make the nearest junior operator flinch.

“And these two Gripens are in the Lapland sector, terrain-following under radar horizon. Altitude less than seventy meters AGL now. Flickering on IR every thirty seconds when they lift over a ridge. They think they’re ghosts. They think we can’t see.”

Pavel snorted in disgust.

“Voronezh watches everything north of Europe. I see their exhaust bloom and feel their vector shift every time they crest a hill. And they’re getting closer. Their track is brushing the corridor line... toward our border."

A sharp beep-beep cut through the tension.

“Command Directive from Northern Fleet in Severomorsk is Amderma-2 Flight to scramble immediately. Full armament. Full fuel. Ready intercept protocol. No warning shot unless airspace is violated. Shadow and deter Swedish incursion. Execution authority: Radar Command Olenegorsk.”

For a moment the room fell deathly silent.

Pavel grinned darkly.

“Finally. Let the bear lift its paw.”

Beyond the snow-crusted runways of the Arctic base at Amderma-2 Air Base, the dawn sky was slate grey, the breath of the Polar wind blowing fine ice crystals across the concrete like ghosts. But inside the sealed cockpits of Red 23 and Red 24, the world was quiet, a world of breathing, instruments, and cold discipline.

Captain Sergei Karpov, pilot of Red 23, sat still in his seat, an island of deadly calm, as the last clearance came over the encrypted channel.

"ARCTIC FLIGHT, tower to lead, cleared immediate takeoff, runway 3-0. Intercept vector zero-nine-zero. Contact Olenegorsk radar net on climb. You are weapons tight until hostile intent confirmed. Repeat, weapons tight."

Karpov's lips curled in annoyance as he adjusted his grip on the stick.

“Understood, tower. ARCTIC FLIGHT rolling,” he muttered flatly, his voice sharp, clipped, laced with irritation.

At his side in Red 24, Lieutenant Viktor Lebedev chuckled darkly over the internal comms.

"Finally. About time they let the dogs off the leash."

“All this creeping Swedish bullshit, skirting our borders like they own the sky,” Karpov growled, eyes narrowing as his thumb rested on the engine throttle. “Let’s make them feel real fear today. Real Russian steel in their mirrors.”

With a flick, he shoved both throttle levers forward to full afterburner.

The twin Saturn AL-31F engines howled like beasts awakening, their power tearing through the Arctic stillness, spitting brilliant white flame into the polar gloom. The Su-27 leapt forward like a missile, tires screeching as the massive airframe roared down the runway.

His head pressed back against the seat as the G-forces built. The whole aircraft shuddered with restrained violence, heavy with fuel, six fully armed R-27 and R-73 missiles slung under its wings, internal cannon primed, flare dispensers loaded. Every hardpoint meant for killing was loaded and ready.

“Gear up!” Karpov barked as the Flanker ripped free of the concrete and into the frozen sky. The wheels retracted with a thud.

Red 24 lifted clean behind him, engines in afterburner, close and tight on his right wing.

“Climb, angels two-five. Radar hot. Set intercept vector east,” Karpov ordered.

The Su-27’s radar flickered on, its cone sweeping wide across the northern sky. The screen lit up, faint, but there, three contacts dancing near the distant border zone.

"There they are," Lebedev murmured. "VIKING-ONE, high... Gripens, low and fast, terrain hugging Lapland’s teeth. As expected."

Karpov scowled.

"Swedes think they are clever. Passive ELINT or not, they lit up when our Voronezh looked at them. Now they get a proper greeting."

His HUD flickered with range, 142 kilometers and closing fast.

Olenegorsk Control crackled in their ear over an encrypted channel.

"ARCTIC FLIGHT, contacts designated BANDIT-ONE high, BANDIT-TWO and BANDIT-THREE low. Maintain intercept heading. Show presence. No weapons release unless they cross boundary or lock."

Karpov smirked. "Show presence? We will show them the entire fucking Russian North."

Mach 0.95. Mach 1.0.

The Flankers punched up into the thin sky, afterburners trailing blue fire, cutting the air clean, hunting shadows.

The earth below stretched white and infinite, but ahead, painted by their radar and confirmed by Voronezh far behind, were the shapes of the Swedish birds. VIKING-ONE, sitting high, greedy for emissions. And below, the wolves, Gripens low, darting, watching.

“Viktor, when we pass fifty clicks, spread left. Flank them high, but no lock. Make them sweat.”

“Copy that. They’ll smell the kerosene off my nosecone before I even pass.”

Karpov grinned behind the oxygen mask.

“Let them listen. Let them record. They wanted Russia’s answer. They’re going to get it.”

The sky filled with the roar of jet engines. Russian steel was in the air, and closing fast to the Russian border region as they remained in Russian airspace.

Connor