On the photo, Thierry Carlier, former Deputy Director General of the Defence Procurement and Technology Agency of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces. Source: SVT, Emmanuel Royer
While the U.S. warns of a reduced military presence in Europe, France steps forward.
Swedish SVT media agency was on site when French fighter planes flew in directly from their home bases in a unique operation to drop bombs over firing ranges in Norrbotten.
The French Air Force carries out Operation “Pegase” every two years. This year they are visiting Sweden for the first time, previously they have flown to the Philippines and Singapore, among other places.
During an operation, several countries are always visited one after the other, without stopovers in France. This year, after Sweden, the “Armée de l’Air” will continue to Poland and then on to Croatia.
“Our French vital interests also include the interests of our allies. In that perspective, the nuclear umbrella also applies to our allies and of course Sweden is among them,” says Ambassador Thierry Carlier, former Deputy Director General of the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) and General Engineer of the Exceptional Class of Armaments (5 stars), and strong supporter of France’s military aid to Ukraine.
The French two-seater Rafale planes are lined up at Kallax airfield in Luleå—all have devices underneath them to be able to carry the French-developed ASMP-A nuclear missile on other missions. Source: SVT, Emmanuel Royer
The fighter plane, aerial refueling plane, transport plane and 220 people from the French military were flown in on Tuesday at short notice, directly from, among other things, the Saint-Dizier nuclear base, to participate in the “Pegase Grand Nord” operation.
”Dropped bombs”
The French ambassador has highlighted on several occasions that sharp, conventional bombs were dropped over the Lomben firing range north of Kalix, situated approximately 500 km from the Russian strategic nuclear forces bases on the Kola Peninsula.
Gripen and Rafale have carried out training flights together where they dropped bombs over Swedish training areas, says Ambassador Thierry Carlier.
He is the newly appointed ambassador to Sweden and was previously one of France’s highest-ranking military officers.
This is a way to deter our adversary (i.e. Russia). By showing that we are ready for whatever may happen, and that we have reached this level of capacity together.
Is this a way for France to try to signal strength on the world stage?
I would say that it is France and Sweden who are sending this signal together, says Thierry Carlier.
Do you see that Sweden could also be covered by France’s nuclear weapons umbrella?
As President Macron has said, it is of course the case that our French vital interests also include the interests of our allies. In that perspective, the nuclear weapons umbrella also applies to our allies and of course Sweden is among them, says Thierry Carlier.
”Extremely”
From the Swedish side, the flotilla commander at F21 in Luleå, Peter Greberg, notes that France is increasingly interested in Sweden and the Arctic region. He says that this year French planes have visited the base three times so far, before that it last happened in 2019.
“It’s extremely high, my conclusion is that France, together with other allies, has started to show a greater interest in being up here. Luleå and the Arctic region are a strategically important area close to NATO’s eastern border with Russia.”
Source: SVT (in Swedish)
Further reading: France To Expand Its Nuclear Deterrent With New Air Base / The War Zone