That early warning will prove invaluable. Sweden is lucky the US and the USSR don't like each other. While I'm sure they could have guessed at an invasion, knowing for sure (and possibly knowing force sizes) could be a game changer down the road.
Whiskey on the Rocks, The Soviet-Swedish War of 1981
- Thread starter Jim Smitty
- Start date
That early warning will prove invaluable. Sweden is lucky the US and the USSR don't like each other. While I'm sure they could have guessed at an invasion, knowing for sure (and possibly knowing force sizes) could be a game changer down the road.
Hyperion
Banned
air to air missiles and stingers I can see.
For the Patriot, given it's an entirely new system and not even a lot of US units are equipped with the system, and it's basically brand new, I question whether the Swedish military would even have time to get the equipment set up, let alone use it.
OTL for example when Patriot batteries where deployed to Israel during Desert Storm, they where operated by US forces, not Israeli forces, so here you'd essentially be putting US boots on the ground charged with air defense work in Sweden, thus effectively bringing the US into the war.
For the Patriot, given it's an entirely new system and not even a lot of US units are equipped with the system, and it's basically brand new, I question whether the Swedish military would even have time to get the equipment set up, let alone use it.
OTL for example when Patriot batteries where deployed to Israel during Desert Storm, they where operated by US forces, not Israeli forces, so here you'd essentially be putting US boots on the ground charged with air defense work in Sweden, thus effectively bringing the US into the war.
Well, we already know the war only lasts 6 days. I figured afterwords the US/NATO might help beef up Swedish forces.
Hyperion
Banned
It might be easier to say that the US sent in missiles and stingers, but that the Patriots where looked at as a long term order that Sweden would purchase.
That or make it so that Sweden publicly purchased the missiles, but the US is willing to wait until after the conflict to take payment, if Sweden can even pay.
But unless you want to start WW3, Patriot Missiles now are ASB.
I don't even think they could be procured and shipped in time for the 6 day war anyway at this point. Could be wrong.
Would have thought that the Swedes would have fallen back on the defence agreement they signed with the Americans in the '60s. Now would seem as good a time as any to take advantage of it.
Given the fact that the Patriots are new, I could foresee a handful being sent from US forces in Germany to Sweden in order to gain live fire experience with them. No more than say a launcher or two, and maybe a dozen missiles or so, just enough to give the Soviets pause.
You've put the Finnish government between the rock and the hard place, however. The Soviets will interpret the FCMA Treaty in a way that would - if worst comes to worst - see them demand the Finns to allow Soviet aircraft to use the Finnish airspace and possibly even to begin a mobilization.
The situation is all the more dicey for Finland because the Swedo-Soviet war coincides with the most severe period of political uncertainty in Finland in the early 80s, due to President Kekkonen going to an extended leave due to ill health in September and eventually stepping down on the 27th (!) when Koivisto became the Acting President. As a result, the Finns would be in a uniquely poor position to resist Soviet demands.
It would be ironic, really: President Kekkonen steps down after 25 years in power and on the same day war breaks out on the Baltic... I can only imagine the panic in the corridors of power in Helsinki in late September and early October.
Hyperion
Banned
If the Swedish have intel of the coming airborne attack from the 76th Airborne, I would expect the Swedish land forces to do relatively well if they can concentrate some armor near the drop zones.
Loosing and entire airborne division or the bulk of the force is definitely going to hurt the Soviets.
Loosing and entire airborne division or the bulk of the force is definitely going to hurt the Soviets.
Interesting TL.
On the defensive the Stridsvagn will do quite well.
On the offensive, it'll be at a disadvantage compared to a MBT, which is why it was eventually considered too much of a niche weapon and replaced by an all singing, all dancing MBT in Sweden.
How it'll perform against the T-81 will be a mystery.
I do think the T81 will at least outspeed it by quite a lot...
On the defensive the Stridsvagn will do quite well.
On the offensive, it'll be at a disadvantage compared to a MBT, which is why it was eventually considered too much of a niche weapon and replaced by an all singing, all dancing MBT in Sweden.
How it'll perform against the T-81 will be a mystery.
I do think the T81 will at least outspeed it by quite a lot...
After thinking about it the Patriot Missiles, is a bit to much. Stinger and Hawk missiles. Plus the air to air missiles. Other stuff will becoming.
Interesting TL.
On the defensive the Stridsvagn will do quite well.
On the offensive, it'll be at a disadvantage compared to a MBT, which is why it was eventually considered too much of a niche weapon and replaced by an all singing, all dancing MBT in Sweden.
How it'll perform against the T-81 will be a mystery.
I do think the T81 will at least outspeed it by quite a lot...
Would they go Abrams or Leopard though?
I think there's a possibility they could develop their own (albeit with some technical assistance from the US or Germany most likely). Sweden has a very well developed domestic defense industry, and a history of using homegrown equipment.
Right now it depends on just how much the US is willing to share with the Swedish. The Abrams at this point is still pretty new, and more importantly, its armour classified (as it is today, but the Cold War isn't in full swing). I suspect Germany might also be willing to give Sweden Leo 2s as a middle finger to the Soviet Union, but that's just my two cents.
Worse things happened during the Cold War. Like during the Korean war. Where US fighter pilots fought Soviet ones over North Korea and there was no DoW from either the US or USSR in the end.