“Obviously, the Russians know that their fighter jets are being tracked by radar when they operate in this region and when they approach Norwegian installations, bases or naval exercise areas in attack formation. He says to the Barents Observer that the mock attack looks like a “deliberate and carefully planned Russian signaling operation.” Kristian Åtland with the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment is expert on Russian military activities in the Arctic. The radars in Vardø are operated by the Norwegian Intelligence Service. It is also believed to be highly capable of monitoring and building a signature database of Russian ballistic missiles. Officially the radar observes objects in space. The so-called Globus-II radar has for decades been a thorn in relations between Moscow and Oslo. Located on a small island on the Barents Sea coast, Vardø is traditionally a fishing town, but its location close to Russia’s heavy militarized Kola Peninsula makes it a perfect location for radar surveillance.
“The scenario was very similar to what took place on March 24th, 2017, but this time with more aircraft, in total 11 Fencer planes, in formation,” Morten Haga Lunde said in his speech and quoted by TV2. Vardø is Norway’s most northeastern town. He then showed the map of how a group of 11 Su-24 (NATO name Fencer) supersonic attack aircraft taking of from Monchegorsk air base on the Kola Peninsula flying out in the Barents Sea before taking a 180 degree turn into an attack formation towards Vardø. “Russia’s military activity in our region signals dismay with Norway,” Haga Lunde said and stressed that there are “no indications that relations between Russia and the West will improve in 2019.” “Russia’s rhetoric against Norway has grown sharper,” the intelligence director said. Haga Lunde had earlier in the day presented Focus 2019 (in Norwegian), the intelligence service’s report on threats and security analyses. The dramatic simulated attack happened on February 14, 2018, Director of Norway’s Intelligence Service, Lieutenant General Morten Haga Lunde, told the audience in his annual speech for the Oslo Military Society on Monday.
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