08.05.2009 A British aircraft carrier will take part along with more than 50 fighter jets in what will be the biggest air force drill ever in the Finnish-Swedish Botnia Bay.
Sweden will host the NATO drill Loyal Arrow, which is to take place in the Botnia Bay in the period 8-16 June this year. The F21 base outside Luleå, northern Sweden, will serve as centre for the rehearsal which will include the British aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious. Ten countries will participate and the main training ground will be northern Sweden, Finland and Norway.
The military airports of Bodø (Norway) and Rovaniemi (Finland) will also also be used as bases, newspaper Vk.se reports. More than 2000 soldiers will take part in the drill, 1000 of them serving onboard the HMS Illustrious.
- Our objective is to train units and staff in air operations and prepare NATO's Response Force (NRF), spokeswoman for the Swedish F21 base, Sara Burulage says to vk.se.