Swedish Air Force faces up to the challenge of new aircraft and an uncrewed horizon
The first Gripen F flew on 28 August. (Photo Saab)
Sweden is an outlier as a smaller nation with its own indigenous fighter aircraft and airborne early warning platform and is now looking at how local company Saab Aerospace can meet the plans for a collaborative combat aircraft.
The Swedish Air Force (SwAF) is undergoing a substantial aircraft overhaul, retiring and replacing its C-130H transport aircraft and NH90 transport helicopters, and introducing new Gripen fighter aircraft and an additional GlobalEye platform.
These plans will see the C-130H retired for C-390s and transport NH90s stood down for more UH-60 Black Hawks as Sweden joins the family of nations giving up on the NH90, such as Australia, which is standing down its aircraft and is also replacing them with more Black Hawks. Norway also abandoned plans to buy NH90s for the maritime role and has opted instead for six Sikorsky
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