Sweden participates in the international effort in Mali with a C17 aircraft

(BRUSSELS2) Sweden will offer a few hours of a C17 transport plane to support the international operation in Mali. Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt confirmed this... in a tweet. The Nordic kingdom does not, per se, have C17 aircraft. But he has hourly quotas on the three C17s (the force Heavy Airlift Wing, set up as part of NATO's strategic air capability) based at the Papa base (Hungary) (*). The Swedish effort will be a maximum of 40 hours - specifies a press release from the Swedish Ministry of Defense - until May 31, 2013. It will mainly be used to transport the African troops of AFISMA and their equipment to Mali. It's the seventh country of the European Union to confirm its logistical support for the international operation in Mali (after Belgium, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Spain).

(*) These aircraft are under Hungarian registration. Hence no doubt the words of the French Minister of Defence, JY Le Drian, speaking during his visit to Istres of the Hungarians' participation in Operation Serval.