"All warfare is based on deception." -Sun Tzu
T
ensions has increased in the Baltic Sea region and the world is holding its breath. The stakes have not been this high since the Cold War and just one small step in the wrong direction could send the world into a new world war of catastrophic proportions. The economic hierarchy has long been held by the US as well as the pure military power during the 20th century. This has been a strong incentive for the Swedish governments to apply to the military alliance NATO. Especially when many of the political decisions that were made in the past were based on the assumption that peace was here to stay.
The political position in Sweden has long been to dismantle the once very capable Swedish defense force. From the beginning of the 1990s to the end of 2017, Sweden has pursued a tough political position to limit the country's defense budget. A defense that once had one of the world's most advanced air forces while the country could call upon almost a third of its population to support in the defense of Sweden. This is now nothing more than barely 30,000 men and women.
Sweden's commander-in-chief stated to the Swedish press that Sweden probably could not hold its defense for longer than 2 days against an aggresor, despite the national defense goal of 3 weeks.
The wind has turned when it comes to economic dominance in the world. The economic crisis in the West has taken a toll on the nations of NATO - and on the other side of the world, a new authority rises from the ashes like a phoenix..
S
ince the end of the Cold War, there has been a change in the balance of power in the world. NATO troops have transitioned from a regular "Force on Force" capability to a rapid response force aimed at assisting in the war on terror. NATO has also been an attractive choice for former satellite states of the Soviet Union. And more and more countries are moving towards the West like EU memberships. NATO saw advantages in moving its border further into the east, directly in contact with the border to Russia. This as a way to ensure the safety of the new member states of NATO such as the Baltics.
From the Russian perspective, it is seen that the US has long planned to establish warheads with nuclear power capabilities in these regions. Something that Russia has condemned and believes that this increase in Western aggression cannot be accepted.
Russia's economic deficit has given NATO unprecedented confidence. But many fear that this increase in confidence is foolish confidence, especially when the military is no longer trained to face an enemy as well-equipped as its own.
T
he year is now 2024 and even though Sweden has officially submitted its NATO application, the process has gone way beyond the time that was considered reasonable from the beginning. Much due to the willingness of other countries to turn the issue into domestic political gains.
The US and other member states of NATO, on the other hand, have given their promise to consider Sweden as a member state during the process, in a possible conflict...
For Russia, the clock has already started ticking and, for Sweden, a worrying discussion on Russian state media circulated over the internet this week. "If Sweden is still the enemy, and the war is close, why not strike now, when NATO doesn't fully have their back?".
I
t began with an aberrant sound recording at an FRA base on Sweden's east coast. At 02.37 the Commander-in-Chief was contacted about the interceptet radio chatter. It could no longer be explained in any other way. There were echoes, but not which echoes were heard...
It was the echo of a foreign power...
Something big was going on, no one escaped it, a message went out to Sweden's allied parties. The war could now be here. The questions all arose; was it too late already? And would the other nations really help as they promised?
I
t did not take long before the war was a fact. Russian special forces started the fighting by sabotaging important targets in Hällsjö and thereby building a bridgehead for the ground troops coming from the south.
The initial battle was fierce with heavy losses on both sides. Even if the NATO forces lost the battle, they had won a lot for how the war could develop. Several NATO nations had kept their promises and contributed troops. Even if you had exercied together before, it is nothing against the experience that the units gained by operating together in a real conflict. Now it was a matter of winning back the lost ground and driving the invaders back to where they came from...