Thursday, May 14, 2015

Submarine Repellent?

Can Sweden stop Russian submarines from entering Swedish waters?

This is the oddest thing I've read lately--other than Lawrence Korb, of course--in the defense world:

Sweden is not a member of NATO and spends a relatively small amount on its military. How could it hope to deter the Russian navy on its own? The answer, according to one Swedish group, is simple: The Swedes must send out gay propaganda via Morse code.

On Monday, the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society (SPAS), a group dedicated to the study and promotion of peace, released details of their plan in a video on their Web site.

Okay, it really isn't from the Swedish defense establishment.

But this might be Sweden's best defense. Sweden once invaded Russia, and so is part of the history that drives Russia's now-pointless paranoia about invasion from the west.

But Sweden's total military is about 20,000. In all services. There are fewer than 3,000 in the navy.

So  counting on anti-gay feelings in Russia's military might be Sweden's best shot, really.

Perhaps the Russian fleet will go after the Dutch, instead?

But it is humorous if you get past that aspect. Welcome, Russian seamen?

I guess it is time to update the "Whiskey on the rocks" terminology for the next Russian-Swedish submarine incident.

Because Russia no longer operates Whiskey-class submarines, of course.