Sweden has been and remains one of the few countries in the world capable of independently creating first-class aviation technology. The combat aircraft of this Scandinavian country have always been distinguished by some kind of "zest"; they cannot be confused with the machines of the same type from other countries. There are enough planes similar to each other in the world, but perhaps not to be found similar to Swedish fighters. The explanation, in my opinion, is simple: since its inception in the late 1930s, the Swedish aviation industry has not copied foreign aircraft already built, but has designed and built its own samples. And what the Scandinavian engineers could not develop in a short time (for example, modern jet engines or electronic equipment) was purchased abroad, including licenses for their production.
The result of such a competent technical policy was the fact that in the post-war "jet race" Sweden practically did not yield to the world's leading aviation powers, and in some cases even surpassed them.
While France is trying to export Rafale, Sweden is showing the world how a small nation can build its own fighter jet and even export it.
The main and perhaps the only manufacturer and developer of aviation technology in Sweden is Saab AB, a Swedish company specializing in aircraft construction, aerospace equipment and military electronics. Founded in 1937, main production and assembly in Linköping, during its existence has developed 13 different types of fighters and built over 4,000 aircraft, most of which met the specific requirements of the Swedish Air Force.
Satellite image of Google Earth: JAS 39 fighters at the Linkoping factory airfield
The Swedish policy of armed neutrality influenced the formation of a national aviation industry that did not rely on foreign technology. SAAB has developed all the main combat aircraft that entered service with the Swedish Air Force since the mid-1950s. Among them are such famous fighters as the J32 Lansen, J35 Draken and J37 Wiggen. At present, Sweden is the smallest country capable of creating modern combat aircraft, slightly inferior to similar fighters designed by leading aviation countries.
The post-war history of the Swedish aircraft industry began with the J21 aircraft, or rather with the release of its jet version. The SAAB-21 single-seat fighter is unique in that it was the only aircraft in the world to be produced in series with both piston and turbojet engines. Serial production of the SAAB-21 fighter with a Daimler-Benz 605V piston engine with a capacity of 1475 hp. with., produced in Sweden under license by SFA, was launched in 1943. It was an aircraft with a pusher propeller, the use of such a scheme brought the following advantages - better visibility, strengthening and concentration of weapons in the bow in the form of two 13.2 mm machine guns and two 20 mm guns, plus two more 13.2 mm machine guns in the tail booms.
After the end of the Second World War, it became clear that piston aircraft are a thing of the past and are being replaced by aircraft with turbojet engines (turbojet engines). Naturally, the Swedes did not want to stand aside and set about developing a jet aircraft. In order not to create a new aircraft for the installation of a turbojet engine, and to begin retraining the flight and technical personnel for jet technology, as soon as possible, it was decided to use the J-21 for its installation (solving a similar problem, they did the same at the Yakovlev Design Bureau, setting on Yak-3 turbojet engine, resulting in the Yak-15).
After briefly using the J-21R as a fighter, it was decided to use the aircraft only as an attack aircraft. The century of the J-21A and J-21R was short-lived, with the J-21R only lasting until mid-54.
The first truly combat aircraft to receive international recognition was the J-29 Tunnan swept-wing jet fighter. Made the first flight on September 1, 1948. Serially produced in 1950-1956 (661 cars were built).
The designers of the SAAB company, unlike others, were able to do without aircraft prototypes, which, as a rule, never entered serial construction. It was much more difficult for Swedish designers to work due to the fact that theoretical knowledge gained in the course of continuous costly experiments in other countries was not available to them or was available, but in a small amount. By the way, the SAAB J-29 was the first serial fighter with a swept wing of European design. "Ghost" with a centrifugal compressor was distinguished by a large diameter. Therefore, SAAB 29 (this designation was received by the company project R1001) had to be literally sculpted around the engine. It turned out that the fuselage with a small steep nasal air intake noticeably thickened towards the place where the engine was located and the aircraft's center of gravity was.
For its peculiar shape, the fighter received the name "Tunnan" (bull, in Swedish). The necessary stiffness of the fuselage and ease of maintenance were provided by a semi-monocoque fuselage structure - a truss with a working skin.
The cockpit literally sat astride the engine intake duct. The tail unit was located on a thin tail boom above the exhaust nozzle. The equipment of the pressurized cabin and the ejection seat were borrowed without change from the SAAB J-21R.
On one of the serial J-29Bs, the captain of the Swedish Air Force K. Westerlund set a world speed record on May 6, 1954, completing a closed 500-kilometer circle at a speed of 977 km / h and breaking the record two years ago held by the American North American F-86E "Saber" ".
The aircraft were in service with combat units until the mid-60s. New electronic equipment was installed on them, and some of the vehicles received Sidewinder air-to-air guided missiles, which are licensed by SAAB under the designation Rb.24. The J-29 was replaced by the J-32 Lansen and the J-35 Draken. The fighters, removed from service, went for scrap metal, were transferred to training units, and were used at training ranges as ground targets. Quite a few vehicles, especially the S-29C, have been converted into target towing vehicles. As part of the "wing" F3 in 1967, a special unit for combat training was formed. The last Tunnans flew with it until 1975, when they were replaced by the J-32D Lansen. Operation of all Tunnan aircraft modifications proceeded almost without incident. The pilots highly appreciated their flight characteristics, good maneuverability and climb speed, and the service personnel - the convenient maintenance of the aircraft.
The J-29 occupies a special place in the history of Swedish aviation: it is the first and only aircraft of the Swedish Air Force to take part in a military conflict outside the country. This happened in 1961-62 in the distant African Congo. The main task of the Swedes was to attack airfields and positions of the rebels. "Tunnans" showed unpretentiousness and high performance characteristics, despite the harsh climatic conditions and constant supply interruptions.
It was the J-29B that put an end to this war. On December 12, 1962, they defeated the Tshombe residence in Elizabethville, after which the dictator's government and his guards fled to Rhodesia. The mutiny was suppressed, in April 63rd the planes returned to Sweden. During the Congolese operation, two J-29Bs were killed due to combat damage and flight accidents. Combat operation has once again confirmed the high quality of the first Swedish jet vehicle - this is the opinion of the majority of the military from different countries.
The J-29 Tunnan aircraft laid the foundation for another tradition. They were the first Swedish combat aircraft to enter service with the Air Force of a foreign country. In 1960, Austria announced the replacement of the obsolete combat training "Vampires". In 1961, according to the results of the competition, in which the Soviet MiG-17F and the American F-86 "Saber" took part, the J-29F was chosen.
The next in the line of combat vehicles was the J-32 Lansen. The first flight of the prototype took place in the fall of 1952. The plane was piloted by the company's chief pilot, test pilot Bengt Olow.
The flight was successful, followed by tests. On October 25, 1953, the aircraft in a gentle dive overcame the sound barrier. Soon, all four prototypes were connected to the tests, in parallel, preparations for serial production were underway, and construction plans were determined. It was supposed to build the car in three main versions: shock, all-weather fighter-interceptor and naval reconnaissance.
In 1955, the first serial J-32A "Lansen" entered service with the Royal Swedish Air Force, thus initiating the re-equipment of strike squadrons with jet technology. Between 1955 and 1958, 287 attack aircraft were delivered to the Royal Swedish Air Force.
The strike version of the aircraft was quite powerfully armed at that time. Four 20-mm cannon "Bofors" M-49 with a total ammunition of cartridges were located in the nose of the fuselage. In addition to the cannons, the Lancen pilot also had an impressive arsenal of bomb armament, which included four 250 kg bombs or a pair of 500 kg caliber. Twelve external suspension nodes could have up to 24 NARs of caliber from 120 to 240 mm or two solid-fuel UR "Robot" 304 (later designation - Rb 04), the main target of which was to be Soviet ships. In general, the UR Rb 04 deserves a separate article, since it is one of the first missiles in the world to have a transonic speed and an active homing head. On it, Swedish designers back in the mid-1950s. implemented the "fire and forget" principle, so popular nowadays. Of course, the first-born had many shortcomings (a small launch range - 10 - 20 km, poor noise immunity, instability of work on the water surface), but the engineers who created such a weapon in those years are worthy of all respect.
The next version of the "Lansen" was the all-weather fighter-interceptor J-32B, which made its first flight on January 7, 1957. Compared to the impact version, this version had a number of significant differences. In addition to the new radar, the fighter was equipped with such innovations as the computer-based Sikte 6A weapon control system. Some of the interceptors were also equipped with the Hughes AN / AAR-4 infrared station, mounted under the left wing directly in front of the landing gear. The weapon control system displayed information about targets coming from the radar and infrared station, as well as navigation information on the screen of monitors in the cockpit and operator.
In 1972, six interceptors were modified into target towing vehicles - J-32D, which were in operation until 1997. Another 15 aircraft, starting in 1972, were converted into the J-32E electronic warfare aircraft. In the bow of the former fighter, instead of the radar, the G24 complex was installed, designed to jam land and ship radars. There were three different versions of the station in terms of the wavelength range. The underwing pylons housed Adrian jamming containers and a Petrus aircraft jamming container, as well as two containers with BOZ-3 dipole reflectors. The aircraft were used until 1997, including for the training of personnel of the Swedish armed forces.
By the end of 1947. the information reached the Swedes that the experimental aircraft Bell X-1 in the USA on October 14, 1947 overcame the speed of sound. The resulting incentive made the development department of the SAAB think about the project of a supersonic fighter.
It was from this moment that the forms of the new fighter began to take shape, which in the 50s made people talk about Sweden as one of the leading aviation powers.
The most difficult moments in the design of the "Draken" were issues related to the aerodynamics of the wing, its shape and engine, primarily the design of the afterburner.
The rollout of the first aircraft (s / n 35-1) took place in the summer of 1955. On October 25, 1955, the aircraft under the control of Bengt R. Olafo made its first flight. The use of a delta wing with an increased sweep angle in the root parts and a low specific load allowed the Draken aircraft to land at a speed of 215 km / h, despite the lack of mechanization. Most variants of the Draken were fitted with various modifications of the RM6 engine, which was a Rolls-Royce Avon engine produced under license from Volvo Flugmotor.
The first pre-production aircraft was named "Draken" and was henceforth referred to as the J-35A. Serial production of the aircraft began by mid-1959.
The aircraft is equipped with a data transmission system integrated with a STRIL-60 semi-automatic airspace control system, a SAAB FH-5 autopilot with an Arenco Electronics air parameters computer and a SAAB S7B sight, modified for the use of Rb.27 and Rb.28 missiles. The radar produced by Ericsson PS01 / A provides target search and ranging, equipped with a horizontal stabilization system.
In addition to it, an infrared sensor manufactured by Hughes is installed (also installed on the Convair F-102 "Delta Dagger"), integrated like the radar with the SAAB S7B sight. Phillips radar integration system PN-594 / A and PN-793 / A. The radio communication equipment includes a VHF transceiver r / s manufactured by AGA Fr.-17 and a VHF receiver manufactured by AGA Fr.-16 (on some aircraft a Collins receiver was installed) and rangefinder equipment AGA Fr.-15.
Stationary armament of the aircraft consists of two "Aden" cannons (caliber 30 mm), located in the near-fuelage parts of the wing. In addition, Sideunder missiles, Matra containers with Bofors projectiles, bombs and fuel tanks with a total weight of 4480 kg can be suspended on 3 ventral and 6 underwing locks.
The aircraft was delivered to Austria, Denmark, Finland and Switzerland; a total of 612 aircraft were produced. It was operated for the longest time in Austria, until the early 2000s.
By the end of the 50s, it became clear that the UTI at the De Haviland Vampire base had served their purpose and needed to be replaced. The success of the Draken led to the development of the SAAB-105 model on a private initiative by the SAAB designers. It is a high-wing aircraft with a swept wing, seats for two (four) crew members are located in the cockpit in two rows, thrust is provided by two turbojet engines. An interesting feature of the aircraft is that in the standard version there are two pilots on the spacecraft, but if necessary, the spacecraft can be removed, and instead of them four fixed seats are installed.
This aircraft, created as a training aircraft, later became one of the most versatile military aircraft in the world. Experienced TCB SAAB-105 made its first flight on June 29, 1963. It was intended to train both military pilots and civilian pilots. The design of the machine was based on the ability to quickly transform into a combat aircraft. In 1964, the Swedish Royal Air Force decided to adopt the aircraft as the main training aircraft.
In the mid-1960s, based on the study of the experience of the Vietnam War, interest in light aircraft for direct support of troops increased in the leading aviation powers of the world. In Sweden, the Sk.60A was well suited for this role, quickly modified into the Sk.60B attack aircraft (six underwing pylons for suspension of weapons were installed on the machine, the corresponding wiring, as well as a rifle scope and a cinema photo machine gun). The aircraft was intended to support ground forces, as well as to combat enemy boats and amphibious assault vehicles. In May 1972, the Sk.60G attack made its maiden flight with enhanced armament.
Several aircraft were upgraded to the Sk.60C reconnaissance variant (the first aircraft flew on January 18, 1967). In the modified nose of the fuselage, which has wedge-shaped glazing, a reconnaissance camera was installed, in addition, a tape recorder was installed on board the aircraft to record the results of visual reconnaissance. In total, the Swedish Air Force received 150 SAAB-105 aircraft of all modifications, their serial production was discontinued in 1970. On April 29, 1967, the light attack aircraft SAAB-105XT, developed for the Austrian Air Force, made its first flight (the laws of this country at that time prohibited flights over its territory with supersonic aircraft, therefore the multi-purpose and inexpensive SAAB, developing a high subsonic speed, satisfied almost all the requests of the Austrian military) … 1970-1972 The Austrian Air Force received 40 SAAB-105TX attack aircraft, which were also used as trainers, low-altitude interceptors, photo reconnaissance aircraft and target towing vehicles.
The geographical position of the Viking homeland to a large extent determined the "peculiarities of the national aircraft industry" in relation to the third generation fighters. The most important requirement of the Swedish Air Force for a combat aircraft of the 1970-90s. was the provision of high takeoff and landing characteristics - the landscape of even the southern, flat provinces of the country was replete with granite rocks, boulders, as well as numerous lakes, rivers and channels, which prevented the construction of field airfields in the classical sense of the word.
The problem of dispersal of aviation in the event of the outbreak of hostilities could be best solved by creating a large number of reserve runways on straight sections of highways (specially reinforced and equipped with side branches for taxiing, organizing technical positions and parking lots).
The requirement to maintain highways ultimately played a key role in shaping the Swedish third-generation jet fighter, which was to replace the SAAB Lansen fighter-bombers and fighter-interceptors, as well as the Draken supersonic fighters. Mandatory requirements for the third generation fighter were named improved take-off and landing characteristics in comparison with its predecessors. The Air Force made it a condition to bring the minimum required runway length to 500 m (even for an aircraft with a combat load). In the reloading version, the aircraft was supposed to take off from a runway of normal length.
Before starting the design of the Draken aircraft, the military demanded that this aircraft should have a speed double that of its predecessor, but that at the same time it could be operated from existing airfields. Then a delta wing was used with a break in the leading edge (with an increased sweep angle in the root parts of the wing). In the case of the Wiggen aircraft, the task was set to increase the maximum speed only slightly, and at the same time the condition for operation from airfields with runways up to 500 m long was introduced.
The double triangle configuration has undergone extensive research to improve wing performance at low speeds and maintain good performance at supersonic flight speeds.
This is how the biplane-tandem aerodynamic scheme arose, in which a large total lift during takeoff and landing is achieved by creating additional lift on the front wing equipped with flaps.
To increase this force, the flaps have a boundary layer control system (by blowing it off with air taken from the engine compressor), and the auxiliary wing itself is located much higher than the main wing and has a larger installation angle. Due to this, the angle of attack during landing can be greater than for the Draken aircraft.
The aircraft made a strong (albeit controversial) impression on aviation specialists with its originality and unconventionality of the proposed technical solutions. Its aerodynamic layout, perhaps, most closely matched the "tandem" scheme (although a number of Western analysts called the car the "last biplane"). The AJ-37 had a front high delta wing equipped with a full span flap and a low rear main wing with a triple sweep along the leading edge.
The aircraft was supposed to have a supersonic flight speed at sea level and a maximum speed corresponding to Mach 2 at optimal altitude. It was required to ensure extremely high acceleration characteristics and rate of climb.
The Wiggen became the first Western European combat aircraft equipped with a digital computer, which was supposed to provide navigation, weapon control, fuel control, and cockpit information field control. For the fighter, a special instrumental landing system TILS was also developed, including the onboard and ground parts.
SAAB 305A air-to-surface guided missiles with a radio command guidance system were considered as the main strike weapon of a promising fighter-bomber. The missiles were supposed to be used from low altitudes.
Construction of the first prototype was completed on November 24, 1966, and it first took to the air on February 8, 1967. It was piloted by SAAB Chief Pilot Erik Dahlstrom. During the flight tests of the Wiggen, a number of serious problems related to the aerodynamics of the aircraft were revealed.
In particular, there was a tendency to sudden nose-up during acceleration at supersonic speeds, which was associated with the difference in the displacement of the shock waves on the upper and lower surfaces of the main wing. This drawback was eliminated due to a slight increase in the cross-sectional areas of the fuselage in the upper part, in the area in front of the keel, where a kind of "hump" was formed.
The first flight of the serial aircraft took place on February 23, 1971. In 1971, it was adopted by the Swedish Air Force, where it was used until 2005. Serial production of the AJ-37 modification continued until 1979, 110 aircraft of this type were built.
Initially, the main "intelligent" strike weapons of the new fighter-bomber were three anti-ship missiles, with radar homing Rb.04E, suspended under the wing and fuselage, as well as UR with radio command guidance Rb.05A (up to two units), capable of hitting both surface and and ground targets. In 1972, the Wiggen also received the American AGM-65 Maevrik television homing missiles (manufactured in Sweden under license under the Rb.75 index), and in 1988, the new Swedish RBS 15F anti-ship missiles. For air combat, the aircraft was armed with Rb.24 missiles (licensed AIM-9 "Sidewinder").
The mastery of a new fighter-bomber (like any fundamentally new combat aircraft) was going on quite difficult. In 1974-1975. three cars were lost (fortunately, all pilots who piloted them managed to escape). The accidents were caused by the formation of fatigue cracks in the main wing spar of the first 28 production aircraft in the areas of the fastener hole.
Since the 1990s, a new generation of fighters began to enter service with the air forces of a number of European countries. Their development began in the 1980s in order not only to reduce dependence on the export of American aircraft, but also to demonstrate the ability of the European aviation industry to create modern combat aircraft that can compete with American products.
The Swedish company SAAB has designed the JAS 39 Gripen fighter. The program that led to the Gripen fighter originated in the early 1970s, when the Swedish Air Force began to think about the future of its combat aircraft. During the 1960s, the Swedish armed forces underwent restructuring, which resulted in a significant reduction in the fighter fleet. This had to be done due to the increase in the cost of purchasing new aircraft. In 1972, for the first time, the idea of developing a new aircraft was put forward to replace the AJ 37 Wiggen fighters, which turned out to be too expensive, and the SAAB 105 trainer aircraft (TCB).
In March 1980. The Swedish government considered the Air Force proposal, but insisted on assessing the likelihood of purchasing Dassault Aviation Mirage 2000, General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, McDonnell-Douglas F / A-18A / B Hornet and Northrop F-20 Tigershark "(in the F-5S variant). In the end, the government, deciding that the country should create its own aircraft, provided SAAB with the opportunity to continue the tradition of developing fighters made according to original aerodynamic configurations (tailless or duck), which began in the 1950s. In May 1980. The Swedish parliament approved a two-year exploration study, and in September of the same year the industrial group IG JAS (Industry Gruppen JAS) was formed, consisting of SAAB, Volvo Fligmotor, FFV Aerotech and Ericsson. After that, SAAB began designing the aircraft and its on-board systems. The choice for the JAS 39A fighter of the "canard" aerodynamic configuration with an all-revolving PGO meant providing static instability to obtain high maneuverability. This, in turn, required the use of digital EDSU. It was decided to use one Volvo Fligmotor RM12 turbofan engine as a power plant, which was a licensed modification of the General Electric F404J engine (engines of the F404 family were used on McDonnell-Douglas F / A-18A / B fighters). The estimated maximum take-off weight of the JAS 39A fighter did not exceed 1 1 t.
December 9, 1988 the prototype Gripen 39-1, piloted by test pilot Stig Holmström, made its maiden flight. Prior to that, the pilot had worked on the aerobatic stand for over 1000 hours. Already in the first flights, he had to face serious problems associated with the operation of the EDSU and the features of the statically unstable layout of the aircraft. In the sixth flight (February 2, 1989), while landing at the factory airfield in Linkoping, the 39-1 fighter crashed.
Test pilot Lare Radeström managed to remain unharmed, apart from a damaged elbow and minor scratches.
The accident caused a long delay in the fighter program. Her investigation showed that the cause was self-excited oscillations in pitch due to errors in the control system software, aggravated by strong gusts of wind.
By the end of 1991. SAAB announced that all avionics and software issues have been resolved. In this regard, the Air Force command decided that the Gripen fighter could be put into service, since many of the design characteristics were improved during the tests. In June 1992, permission was given to create a two-seater JAS 38B aircraft. At the same time, a contract was signed between SAAB and FMV for the production of the second batch of fighters. In September 1992, two Gripen prototype aircraft made their debut at the Farnborough Aerospace Exhibition.
The first fighter JAS 39A "Gripen" was received by the Swedish Air Force in November 1994. Deliveries of "Gripen" fighters for the Swedish Air Force were divided into three batches (Batch 1, 2, 3). As the avionics improved, the newly built aircraft differed in the composition of equipment and combat capabilities. All fighters of the first batch were equipped with a triplex digital EDSU manufactured by the American company Lear Astronics.
The JAS 39C / D Gripen fighters of the third batch fully comply with NATO standards, which makes it possible for them to take part in joint combat operations. The aircraft are equipped with a new identification system, and the pilots received night vision goggles. There are plans to further improve the aircraft. For example, the use of a passive search and tracking system IR-OTIS (developed by SAAB Dynamics and resembling a heat direction finder in a spherical fairing installed on Russian fighters in front of the cockpit canopy), a helmet-mounted sight-designator and an airborne PLC with AFAR is proposed. The armament of the single-seat fighter JAS 39A (or JAS 39C) includes a built-in single-barreled 27-mm Mauser VK27 cannon with 120 rounds of ammunition. First, to defeat air targets, the Gripen aircraft could carry a short-range Reytheon AIM-9L Sidewinder (Rb74) missile with a thermal homing head, and in mid-1999 it could carry a short-range missile.
The medium-range missile launcher AMRAAM AIM-120, designated Rb99 in the Swedish Air Force, was put into service. It should be noted that from the very beginning of development, the fighter was considered as a carrier of AIM-120 missiles; corresponding agreements were signed between the governments of the United States and Sweden. The Ericsson PS-05 / A airborne radar was designed for the use of these missiles, equipped with an active radar guidance system. The Gripen aircraft can carry four AIM-120 missiles and simultaneously attack four targets. At the same time, the radar is capable of tracking 10 more targets.
To defeat ground targets, Hughes AGM-65A / B Maevrik air-to-surface missile systems were used, which have the designation Rb75 in the Swedish Air Force ("Rb" - from the word robot). The AGM-65B rocket was distinguished by the presence of a target image magnification mode, which made it possible to capture a target at a distance twice as large as that of the AGM-65A rocket. The armament includes the planning cluster munitions VK90 (DWS39 "Mjolner"). The VK90 ammunition is a Swedish-developed version of the German DASA DWS24 cluster munition designed to engage unarmored targets in open areas. The subsonic anti-ship missile SAAB Dynamix Rbsl5F, developed on the basis of the Rbsl5M missile, which was in service with high-speed patrol boats, is used against surface targets.
By April 2008. 199 fighters were built. On January 28 of the same year, during a test flight of the second Gripen fighter, intended for the South African Air Force, the milestone of 100,000 flight hours was overcome for the entire fleet. In total, the Swedish Air Force ordered 204 JAS 39 Gripen fighters. If the construction of the first production aircraft JAS 39A took 604 days, then by the time the first batch was completed, the assembly time of the fighter was reduced to 200 days.
The Gripen fighters have taken part in various NATO exercises in Europe in recent years, and in July-August 2006 they took part for the first time in the Cooperative Cope Thunder exercise in Alaska. Five JAS 39C and two JAS 39D aircraft flew from Sweden to the Eielson Air Force Base (Alaska) within five days, covering almost 10,200 km along the Scotland - Iceland - Greenland - Canada route. For the first time, Swedish Air Force aircraft took part in an exercise outside Europe. In the summer of 2008, four Gripen aircraft made their debut in the massive US Air Force Red Flag exercise at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
The fighter was supplied to the Czech and Hungarian Air Forces (leased 14 aircraft each), South Africa and Thailand each have 26 and 6 fighters, respectively. In addition, these aircraft have been supplied to the British Air Force Testing School. The aircraft participates in competitions in Brazil, India and Switzerland, there are plans to export to Croatia and Denmark.
To date, the Swedish Air Force has more than 330 aircraft.
They also include ASC 890 AWACS aircraft of their own production, based on Saab 340. The basis of its equipment is a multifunctional radar PS-890 Ericsson Erieye operating in the 10-cm wavelength range, which has a two-way active phased antenna array (AFAR).
The station, whose operation modes are controlled from ground points, is capable of detecting more than 100 air and ground (surface) targets. The aircraft's crew consists of pilots and four operators. Patrol altitude 2000 - 6000 m. According to Swedish experts, the system is capable of detecting and tracking cruise missiles and small targets with an effective reflective surface of less than 1 m2. During demonstration flights, it provided detection of low-altitude air targets at a distance of up to 400 km, ground and surface targets up to 300 km. Radar PS-890 Ericsson Erieye can be installed on small aircraft of various types.
Comparison of the Swedish aircraft industry with the French aircraft industry is indicative. Sweden was able to create and equip its Air Force with combat aircraft of its own design, practically not inferior to the French. For a country with a population of 9 million and a GDP equal to 15% of the French, this is not bad at all, especially when you consider that Sweden is developing other types of weapons, such as submarines, frigates and armored vehicles.
