Uninvited Guests in the Swedish Fjords

This document, a JPRS report from February 1992, details the ongoing issue of foreign submarine incursions into Swedish territorial waters. The report highlights the perspective of Swedish Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief General Bengt Gustafsson, who maintained that foreign submarines had indeed violated Swedish waters, despite skepticism from some who compared the submarine sightings to the 'chimera' of flying saucers. The text notes that Swedish authorities recorded submarine noises similar to those identified in 1984 and discovered physical damage to an underwater anti-submarine warning cable in a bay off Gotland Island. The report discusses the difficulty of identifying the origin of these vessels, noting that while some suspected the former USSR, others pointed to reports of U.S. mini-submarines operating in the area for research purposes. In response to these persistent incursions, General Gustafsson ordered the Swedish coast guard to act more aggressively, including opening fire if sonar detected the presence of unidentified mini-submarines. Defense Minister Anders Bjork reaffirmed the government's commitment to protecting Swedish waters, stating that the nation would not reconcile itself to such violations.