Covid-19: Swedish Navy focuses on maintaining operational readiness at sea

The Royal Swedish Navy (RSwN) is concentrating on maintaining operational readiness at sea as the service responds to the coronavirus crisis.

The RSwN Koster-class minehunting vessels HSwMS Ulvön (foreground) and HSwMS Koster are pictured at sea during the service's recent national anti-submarine warfare exercise ('ASWEX') off Gothenburg. 'ASWEX', which took place in strategically critical waters, went ahead despite the continuing Covid-19 crisis. (RSwN)

“The main steps are really to uphold our readiness – that is my main focus right now,” Rear Admiral Ewa Skoog Haslum, the RSwN’s new chief of navy, told Jane’s.

This is being done in two ways: first, through conducting exercises; and second, through working with the navy’s individual flotilla and regiment commanders to ensure that readiness is maintained while supporting government requirements regarding coronavirus safety measures.

“We are still [maintaining] readiness, we are fulfilling exercises,” said Rear Adm Skoog Haslum.

In late March, the RSwN went ahead with its annual national anti-submarine warfare exercise (‘ASWEX’), despite the onset of the crisis. Over 25 ships participated, with the exercise taking place on Sweden’s west coast in the strategically critical waters off the port of Gothenburg. Conducting the exercise demonstrated that, despite the crisis, the RSwN is able to operate “actually, fairly normally” at the current time, said the admiral. “As we are here, today,” the admiral continued, “the readiness plot has been fulfilled.”