Importance Score: 65 / 100 🔴
British Paratroopers Face Passport Checks During NATO Drills in Sweden
During recent NATO drills in Sweden, British paratroopers participating in Swift Response 25 were stopped and asked to present their passports upon landing on a Swedish island. The exercise, designed to prepare for potential global conflicts, highlights the complexities of international military cooperation within the context of varying border regulations. This incident underscores the practical implications of Britain’s position outside the Schengen Area, even amidst collaborative defense exercises.
Swift Response 25: Simulating Tactical Operations
The NATO drills, dubbed Swift Response 25, involved British soldiers executing operations such as securing a ‘Tactical Landing Zone’ from hypothetical Swedish opposition. The exercise also included landing aircraft and deploying paratroopers onto Gotland, an island of strategic importance in the Baltic Sea.
- Dozens of troops from the British Parachute Regiment were observed descending from a Royal Air Force Airbus A400M on Tuesday.
- Upon landing, the soldiers encountered Swedish passport control officials, a requisite step due to Britain’s non-membership in the Schengen Area.
Experiences with Border Control
Lieutenant Colonel Chris Hitchins commented on the situation, stating to local media, “So I’m used to border control now. I did it in France last year, as well.” He added, “Sometimes you have a bit of a mental pause, you go through those motions and then I’ll put my helmet back on and I’ll go into the trees and we’ll be back in a tactical scenario.”
Echoes of Past Incidents
This recent event mirrors a similar occurrence last summer when British soldiers were required to produce passports after landing in Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day. That incident drew criticism from British politicians.
Details of the D-Day Commemoration
In the Normandy event, approximately 320 paratroopers from Britain, Belgium, and the United States participated in the jump, re-enacting the events of 1944 in a historic D-Day drop zone. However, only the 250 British paratroopers were asked to show their passports, as the US soldiers launched from within France, and Belgium is a member of the European Union.
Responses to Passport Checks
Former cabinet minister David Jones remarked at the time that France’s ability to control its borders was made possible by the sacrifices of British troops 80 years prior, quipping, “They risked their lives to make France safe for bureaucracy.”
Brigadier Mark Berry, commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade, acknowledged the situation, telling the Sun, “It is something we haven’t experienced before. But given the Royal welcome we have had from every other feature, it seems like a very small price to pay for coming to France.”
Gotland’s Strategic Importance
Sweden’s strategic importance is heightened by its location in the Baltic Sea. Sweden announced discussions with NATO leaders last year regarding plans to enhance the militarization of Gotland, which is considered a crucial location in the region.
- Analysts describe Gotland as a ‘giant aircraft carrier’ due to its advantageous position for controlling air and sea traffic in the Baltic Sea.
- The island is located approximately 120 miles from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and about 230 miles north of the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
Sweden’s Evolving Military Posture
During the Cold War, Sweden maintained a substantial military presence on Gotland, with up to 25,000 troops stationed there. However, the island was largely demilitarized in 2005. With Sweden’s recent accession to NATO, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has indicated that re-arming Gotland is a key consideration for enhancing military readiness in the Baltic.
Kristersson stated, “Everything to do with the Baltic is such an obvious candidate (for the deployment of military resources). That goes in terms of presence on Gotland, but also in terms of surveillance, in terms of submarine capabilities.”
The Broader DEFENDER 25 Exercise
Swift Response 25 is the initial phase of the larger U.S.-led DEFENDER 25 exercise. NATO describes the exercise as designed to bolster NATO’s deterrence capabilities and demonstrate rapid deployment capabilities.
General Christopher Donahue, Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, emphasized the global implications, stating, “This is about global deterrence. Everything we demonstrate with our Allies and partners, we can replicate globally. DEFENDER gives us critical repetitions at scale for theatre logistics and warfighting.”