Unidentified drones trespassed into the air space of Stockholm-Arlanda, Sweden’s largest airport, for the third consecutive night on Tuesday, as reported by media outlets.
“We can confirm that during the evening, we observed a drone at Arlanda, we noticed a change in the traffic pattern, and we are adjusting the traffic accordingly,” Eric Casselberg, the officer on duty at the Civil Aviation Authority, told TV4. “We have no information on whether there is a connection with the previous drone alerts, or if it is one or multiple drones.”
Stockholm police also received reports about drone observations in other locations. Press spokesman Daniel Wikdahl confirmed that more alarms about drones had come in, but would not comment on where.
As we reported yesterday, the first drone incursion occurred around 2 a.m. on Monday, causing the airport to shut down takeoffs and landings for two and a half hours and redirecting incoming flights to other airports in Sweden as well as Helsinki, Finland.
A second observation of illegitimate drone traffic at the airport was reported on Monday night.
Thus far, the drone incursions remain a police issue. Should a foreign power be identified as behind them, it becomes a matter for the Armed Forces.
Experts don’t want to rule out the presence of a foreign power. Hans Liwång, professor at the Swedish Defense Academy, told the daily Expressen:
The first event is of greater significance. Flying over Arlanda when the airport’s preparedness is being tested suggests a deliberate action. It could be an enthusiast wanting to test Sweden’s capability, but unfortunately, it cannot be ruled out that it involves a foreign power.
Tomas Melin, research leader and aviation technology expert at the Swedish Defence Research Agency, said to the same publication that it is fairly certain this is something other than “recreational flying”:
With today’s most common technology, four craft would mean four pilots, and it’s likely that more people are involved: service technicians, coordinators. It’s a slightly larger group of people doing something.”
A string of Russian drone incursions into NATO member states has heightened tensions in recent months. Currently, NATO’s Archipelago Endeavor 24, a joint exercise between the U.S. Marines and Swedish armed forces, is being conducted in the Stockholm archipelago, potentially making it a target for exploratory drones.
Arlanda, located between Stockholm and Uppsala, is the largest airport in Sweden and the third-largest airport in the Nordic countries. The airport is the major gateway to international air travel for large parts of Sweden.
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