Earlier in March, the Finnish vessel FNS Uusimaa took its orders directly from Sweden’s naval command; while the Swedish vessel HMS Helsingborg got its orders from Finland’s naval command in Turku. While the two navies have taken part in many joint exercises before, this was the first time the ships had been placed under direct control from their neighbours’ naval command headquarters. The rationale behind the recent exercise is that working together is more effective than working individually especially on issues like maritime surveillance. “It increases the credibility of both countries’ naval forces if we can lead each other’s vessels when needed and exchange information about the maritime situation” says Anders Åkermark from the Swedish navy’s operations department.
- News Now Finland -