Ukraine's shadow over the military's giant exercise

TT

Published 15.46

           

           

           

           

          The drone platoon on P 7 is on site with its "heavy bomber" at a press briefing for the military                    exercise Aurora 26 at the Revingehed training field.
          1 / 4Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

Defense against Russian drones and telewarfare characterize the Swedish Armed Forces' giant exercise Aurora 26. Ukraine is assisting with advisory drone pilots.

- They want us to be better, says Vice Admiral Ewa Skoog Haslum.

The experiences from the war in Ukraine affect the smallest detail, even how the soldiers sleep.

Stove-heated large tents no longer work, because they are so easy to detect for heat-sensitive drones. Now the soldiers have to sleep in their wagons, in simple patrol tents next to the wagons or seek out buildings where they can hide.

Ukrainian drone pilots who had flown in, straight from the war, gave a lecture on the first evening when the exercise got underway at Revingehed in Skåne.

“Very generous”

– It has been the case throughout all these years that they are very generous in sharing their experiences. They want us to become better, says Vice Admiral Ewa Skoog Haslum, head of the Swedish Armed Forces’ Operations Command.

The command systems are crucial for how quickly you can share the situational picture within a brigade. It is about how quickly the brigade commander can reach the marksman and vice versa, she emphasizes.

– There is great experience that has been gained from Ukraine, which is being implemented here now, says Ewa Skoog Haslum.

Testing new technology

The Southern Skåne Regiment (P 7) is building a brigade, but it will not be ready until 2030. This has given the army commander the opportunity to test new technology, especially digital command systems.

“I want my brigade to be relevant in 2030–2035. Then I want to be at the forefront,” says brigade commander Annelie Olausson.

During Aurora 26, P 7 is testing, for example, civilian technology to obtain internet connections from satellites. Good mobile coverage has become crucial, since radio is no longer the primary means of communication.

Increased survivability

To create a more realistic training environment based on the experiences gained from Ukraine, personnel from the Swedish Defence Research Institute (FOI) are also on site. They are introducing elements of telewarfare.

– One is that we should protect our own communications and the other is that we should influence the adversary's communications, explains Jonas Nordlöf, operations manager at FOI.

During the exercise, how the units behave on the airwaves is evaluated – how easy are they to detect?

Some units can have their reception disrupted, so that they suddenly don't hear anything, so that they can be trained on how to act then.

– If we become as good as possible at this, we will have increased survivability for the soldiers and units, says Jonas Nordlöf.

FACTS

26Aurora 26

Aurora 26 is the largest military exercise of the year, in which units from twelve other nations participate.

It is carried out from April 27 to May 13 across Sweden, with an emphasis on southern Sweden and on Gotland.

The Armed Forces describe the exercise as "a dress rehearsal of our new national operational plans as a NATO ally".

This includes host country support, i.e. receiving, protecting and training with foreign units, as well as training in cooperation with other countries.

Approximately 16,000 Swedish soldiers and sailors are participating together with 1,700 foreign soldiers.

Source: Swedish Armed Forces