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Swedish peace activists who argue that military hardware isn't the best way to deter Russian submarines have launched their own underwater defence installation: a gay-themed sonar system.

In a publicity stunt dubbed "Operation The Singing Sailor," the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society placed a sonar device in the Stockholm archipelago sending out a Morse code message saying "This way if you are gay."

The device also features a neon sign with a sailor waving a white flag and the words "Welcome to Sweden — Gay since 1944" — the year Sweden legalized homosexuality.

The group is urging the Swedish government to resist calls for re-armament after a weeklong hunt in October for a suspected Russian submarine, saying "love and peace across boundaries is more important than ever."

This content appears as provided to The Globe by the originating wire service. It has not been edited by Globe staff.

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