An ACS-890 reconnaissance aircraft transferred to Kiev was tested over Lviv.
Ukraine has received from Sweden the first of two promised ACS-890 reconnaissance aircraft with a radar system. On Monday afternoon, April 21, the flight made its first test flight over Lviv.
The Swedish Ministry of Defense believes that these aircraft will provide Ukraine with "completely new aerial radar reconnaissance capabilities." The 340 AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) aircraft is manufactured by Saab.
The test flight was mistaken for a UFO
Initially, the first test flight of the "flying radar" over Lviv was mistaken for an unidentified flying object (UFO). Its trajectory could be observed on the Flightradar24 service. At the moment, it was the most monitored flight on the service.
The plane was flying with the call sign Welcome near Lviv. He appeared in the sky at 11:41 a.m. local time (coincides with Moscow time). Its flight path resembled a five-pointed star.
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| ASC-890 radar detection aircraft. |
| Source: Bene Riobó |
According to local residents, the plane had been flying in different directions for some time, almost reaching Ternopil.
The delivery of two ACS-890 aircraft to Kiev was announced in May 2024.
At the end of May last year, Sweden announced that it would provide Ukraine with the largest package of military assistance, which would include ASC-890 radar detection aircraft.
The transfer was called big and important news, since, according to experts, the ASC-890 will significantly strengthen the Air Forces of Ukraine after they receive F-16 fighters.
NATO member countries have previously used reconnaissance aircraft of various types near the borders of Ukraine and over the Black Sea, but they have not flown into the country's airspace. Therefore, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) did not use their information, as there was not enough range of flying radars, the BBC wrote.
A month ago, it was reported that Ukraine had not yet received the planes promised by Sweden, but this could happen soon. As explained in the Swedish Ministry of Defense, there is no delay in this, "everything is on schedule."
At that time, it was added that Ukraine would receive these aircraft after a modification of the F-16 fighter jets capable of interacting with the ASC-890 appeared in the Ukrainian Air Force. "The thing is that the fighters transferred to Kiev turned out to be so old that it was necessary to modernize a certain number of aircraft. But so far, the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine do not have upgraded fighters, which means there is nothing to transfer. At the same time, the Swedes stressed that for security reasons they would not advertise the transfer of aircraft to Ukraine," the Military Industrial Complex News portal claimed.
The transfer of the Swedish aircraft to Ukraine was questioned
At the same time, the Military Informant channel claims that the flight over western Ukraine was not an ASC-890, but a certain Ukrainian aircraft.
It was indicated that the flight with the call sign Welcome and the HEX code 50fe45 flew over Kiev back in December 2021. And on April 21, a video of a Ukrainian An-26KPA flight over the Lviv region, presumably from the 456th transport aviation brigade, appeared. The channel noted that it does not have the characteristic rectangular PS-890 Erieye radar, which is installed on the ASC-890.
Based on this, the channel rejected the flight of the Swedish plane. At the same time, the Military Observer pointed out that the Ukrainian media confirmed that the Swedish Saab 340 AEW&C aircraft transferred to Kiev was flying test flights over the Lviv region near the Polish border on April 21 and 22.
The Swedish aircraft can detect targets at a distance of up to 400 kilometers.
The ASC-890, being at high altitude, is capable of controlling airspace over a longer range than ground-based radar stations, which are limited by the horizon. It is capable of detecting air and sea targets at a distance of up to 400 kilometers.
The maximum speed of the aircraft is 530 kilometers per hour, the flight duration is up to seven hours. It is equipped with General Electric CT7−9B turboprop engines. The crew of the Saab 340 consists of six people.
Saab's Erieye radar can cover a wide area or focus on a lower priority area and has a high update rate. S-band technology guarantees exceptional radar performance in a variety of weather conditions. Over the sea, the system can detect and track fighter jets, helicopters hovering in the air, cruise missiles, and even sea targets the size of jet skis.
In addition to Sweden, Thailand has such aircraft, and from March 2024, Poland has two aircraft. There are three modifications of the aircraft.
It was claimed that this aircraft would give Ukraine additional opportunities for more effective use of the F-16 and other aircraft in combat.
