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Sun, 01 Jun, 2014 12:05:10 AM FTimes-STT Report, June 1  File picture of Air Force fighter. Photo Lehtikuva. Defence Minister Carl Haglund on Saturday dismissed any apprehension of airspace surveillance preparedness getting slack due to the ongoing savings move in the defence sector.
According to the minister, the preparedness is in a good condition and the arrangements were approximately the same as that in the past many years. “Operationally, all things in Defence Forces Reform have been done just in the same way,” he said.
The minister, however, expressed satisfaction at the remarks of President Sauli Niinistö who admitted on Saturday that defence resources are currently tight but played down the significance of the incursion.
Defence Minister Carl Haglund. Photo Lehtikuva. Haglund said the resources in the defence sector are not related to the operational readiness but rather in investment.
Pointing out the incident of violation of Finland’s airspace by Russian aircraft on May 20, the defence minister said as the route of the Russian plane was specified as per prior schedule, there was no necessity for taking extra air surveillance in advance.
He pointed out that advance extra air surveillance is taken, if the flight and air route is unknown.
Air Force Hornet fighters were unable to scramble in time, when Russian aircraft twice breached Finnish airspace last week, the Finnish daily Savon Sanomat claimed on Saturday, reported Yle.
Finland’s Hornets were not ready to make an inspection flight until four hours after the Russian aircraft first strayed 30 kilometres into Finland’s airspace on May 20th, the report said.
President Sauli Niinistö said the planes weren’t four hours late, they responded four hours after something that was insignificant happened, reported Yle.
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