WEBVTT

00:00.630 --> 00:05.630
- I was a squadron commander,
Fighter Wing 13 responsible

00:06.130 --> 00:10.323
for the Viggens intercepting in the SR-71.

00:11.970 --> 00:15.100
We operated very much in the Baltic Sea

00:15.100 --> 00:18.307
and we had many contacts with the SR-71,

00:19.498 --> 00:22.620
but we understood that

00:22.620 --> 00:25.420
it was a very severe situation,

00:25.420 --> 00:30.040
with an SR-71 going down
over Swedish territory.

00:30.040 --> 00:32.140
We were afraid it was going to crash

00:32.140 --> 00:34.840
and we ordered the Viggens to

00:36.130 --> 00:37.890
contact it intercept

00:37.890 --> 00:41.913
and to follow it escort
through the Baltic Sea.

00:43.280 --> 00:47.460
For a very severe
situation with a Blackbird

00:48.760 --> 00:53.760
in problems outside Russia
going in over Swedish territory

00:55.300 --> 00:59.380
and also leaving the Swedish
territory going over the

00:59.380 --> 01:02.920
Southern Baltic Sea very
close to East Germany

01:03.940 --> 01:07.890
and we ordered two fighter Viggens

01:07.890 --> 01:12.120
and QRA Viggens with weapons on board

01:12.120 --> 01:16.790
to follow to be very near the SR-71

01:16.790 --> 01:19.913
on its way south to NATO.

01:20.760 --> 01:23.040
I think it's very important,

01:23.040 --> 01:26.260
it's very important because
it's about the relations

01:26.260 --> 01:29.910
between the Nations
and its security policy

01:29.910 --> 01:33.837
and the meaning of what we
represent in the U.S. Air Force

01:33.837 --> 01:36.080
and the Swedish Air Force.

01:36.080 --> 01:38.323
At that time but also today,

01:39.220 --> 01:43.150
and today is very important
that we remember what happened

01:43.150 --> 01:47.630
and the roles we had
but it's mutual respect

01:47.630 --> 01:48.893
to be professional.

01:50.610 --> 01:54.830
I think its a little bit
about that because my role

01:54.830 --> 01:56.813
and I'm behind this a little bit,

01:57.850 --> 02:01.043
as responsible for the intercept.

02:02.250 --> 02:05.720
The manage command structure,

02:05.720 --> 02:08.040
management on Sweden when this happened

02:09.240 --> 02:11.000
and we got so worried

02:11.000 --> 02:15.460
because if you have these at 70,000 feet

02:15.460 --> 02:19.180
and it goes down with a descent speed

02:19.180 --> 02:22.470
of 40,000 feet a minute,

02:22.470 --> 02:24.860
from this going down,

02:24.860 --> 02:26.930
it's not going like this,

02:26.930 --> 02:30.480
it's going like this and
then they manage to recover.

02:30.480 --> 02:33.560
And we were very worried
that it was going to crash

02:34.540 --> 02:39.370
and we felt the responsibility, also,

02:39.370 --> 02:41.340
to handle the situation

02:41.340 --> 02:42.520
and there is a meaning

02:43.970 --> 02:46.367
of that we ordered the Viggens

02:47.294 --> 02:49.860
to be very close to the SR-71

02:49.860 --> 02:53.563
on this very dangerous
way out of the Baltic.

02:54.915 --> 02:55.753
Like that.