STOCKHOLM - The Swedish parliament on April 1 voted in favor of sending eight Swedish fighter jets to contribute to the international mission to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya.
The vote clears the way for the Swedish air force's first international deployment in 48 years.
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said March 29 he would put to parliament the proposal of sending eight Swedish-built fighter jets, a transport plane and a reconnaissance plane to Libya, stressing Swedish jets would not be involved in ground strikes.
Sweden's participation in the mission had received broad political support and the proposal was widely expected to pass.
The Nordic country is not a member of NATO, although it has been in NATO's Partnership for Peace program since 1994 and participates in the alliance's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) force in Afghanistan with some 500 troops.
The country's air force has not been involved in action since 1963, in a U.N.-mandated operation in the former Belgian Congo.
The vote clears the way for the Swedish air force's first international deployment in 48 years.
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said March 29 he would put to parliament the proposal of sending eight Swedish-built fighter jets, a transport plane and a reconnaissance plane to Libya, stressing Swedish jets would not be involved in ground strikes.
Sweden's participation in the mission had received broad political support and the proposal was widely expected to pass.
The Nordic country is not a member of NATO, although it has been in NATO's Partnership for Peace program since 1994 and participates in the alliance's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) force in Afghanistan with some 500 troops.
The country's air force has not been involved in action since 1963, in a U.N.-mandated operation in the former Belgian Congo.
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