Submarine hunt exposes gaps in Swedish Navy
| STOCKHOLM
The search for a foreign underwater craft in waters off Stockholm has brought back memories of Sweden's submarinehunts during the Cold War — and exposed a key difference.
Back then Sweden actually had a robust anti-submarine force.
Sweden, which is not a NATO member, has downsized its military significantly since the Iron Curtain fell and has scrapped some of the resources it used to hunt for Soviet submarines, including helicopters equipped with sonar and anti-submarine weapons.
The military says the helicopters used in the current search don't have that equipment.
Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said Tuesday that Sweden's military "needs to improve its capacity." He cited Russia's increasing military activity in the region but added that "we do not regard that as an immediate threat to Sweden."
