TSAMTO, October 29. The Swedish Air Force Command has announced initial plans to adopt the Gripen E multipurpose fighter developed by Saab and named the first base for the deployment of this type of aircraft.
According to Jane's Defense Weekly, Saab announced that the Swedish Air Force Command has decided to start delivering the first Gripen E fighters in 2022 to the Skaraborg (F7) air Wing located in Satenas (in southwestern Sweden).
The F7 is one of the three fighter wings of the Swedish Air Force. The Blekinge Air Wing (F17) is located in Ronneby, and the Norrbotten Air Wing (F21) in Luleå (in the south of the country). The fourth air wing, Uppsala (F16), will be formed in southern Sweden in 2022. Each wing consists of two squadrons (71st and 72nd in the composition of the F7).
Currently, the Swedish Air Force has 73 single-seat aircraft JAS-39C "Gripen" and 24 double-seat JAS-39D "Gripen". Earlier in 2021, the Swedish government increased the number of "old" Gripen, which is planned to be saved for use in conjunction with the new "Gripen E". In January, Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist said that the Air Force will be armed with 100 Gripen aircraft in two versions.
According to the Minister's comments, 40 JAS-39C/D Gripen will be retained in the Air Force. In general, the Air Force will include four Gripen E and two Gripen C/D squadrons.
Peter Hultqvist's comments about the size of the Gripen were made as part of the announcement of broader plans to strengthen the Air Force in the coming years.
According to the minister, in addition to Gripen, the Swedish Air Force will finance the delivery of a new cruise missile, information about which has not yet been disclosed. In his speech, the Defense Minister mentioned "investments in an aerial robot" to combat long-range ground targets, which in the context of Sweden probably implies a cruise missile, not a strike UAV.
In order to modernize the airborne long-range radar detection system to replace two Saab-340 "Eriai" aircraft in operation since 2004, the Swedish Armed Forces recently placed an official request for the purchase of Saab GlobalEye aircraft equipped with the latest Eriai ER radar (Extended Range).
In addition to these three projects, P. Hultqvist named among the main ones the completion of the project for the delivery of the Patriot air defense system to Raytheon, as well as equipping the Visby-class corvettes with a new air defense system of the country's Navy.
