SAAB GRIPEN

SAAB/Gripen International JAS39A Gripen (Gryphon) 7 Wing, Swedish Air Force, 2000.

Airfix repackage Italeri's nicely detailed Gripen kit, albeit with less weaponry. Decals are quite good though, giving the (comparatively) colourful early scheme.

Sweden's commitment to neutrality is clearly evidenced by their determination to develop indigenous combat aircraft. The Gripen was the first of the current fighter generation to become operational and has established itself as the front running F-16 successor; in a joint venture with BAe, it has also achieved significant export success, with sales to South Africa, Hungary and the Czech republic. Thailand has also recently ordered 2 batches of Gripens as F-5 replacements.

Like its predecessor, the Gripen is designed to fly from austere facilites (e.g. roads and dispersed operating bases) and with minimal support, which makes it an ideal candidate for modern expeditionary warfare.

Although not widely publicised, the aircraft had significant British design input, particularly in wing design, that can be traced back to 1970s Hawker designs for advanced combat aircraft. Its radar system is also based on the SELEX (ex-Ferranti) Blue Vixen system, developed for the Sea Harrier and which also forms the basis of the Eurofighter CAPTOR radar. In Swedish Af service, Gripens are fitted with the advanced STRIL90 system, which provides a fully linked and integrated Ground-Air network environment, allowing co-operative use of sensors and weapons systems.

SAAB JAS39B Gripen (Gryphon), UK MoD Empire Test Pilot School, 2006.

Italeri's 2-seat Gripen is currently more difficult to find than the more common single seat kit. It shares most sprue parts with the single seater, but includes a different fuselage. The forward undercarriage doors also reflect the far more complicated set-up on the twin seater and there is a different aerial fit. Link to build page

Since 1999, leased Gripens have been used by the QinetiQ-operated UK MoD Empire Test Pilot School (ETPS) to train military test pilots and Flight Test Engineers on modern high perfomance aircraft, including students from the British Royal Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force, the United States Navy and the French Air Force.

Although normally operating from SAAB's facility at Linkoping in Sweden, a specially marked ETPS Gripen is regularly seen at UK shows, and it was in this guise that it appeared at the 2006 Farnborough Air Show, complete with blue fin and spine, ETPS badge and QinetiQ titles on the forward fuselage. The blue trim and badge remain, but the QinetiQ titles apparently annoyed the Swedish Air Force and were quickly removed.

SAAB JAS39C Gripen (Gryphon), F7 Wing Swedish Air Force, Satenas, 2012.

The standard Italeri single-seat Gripen kit is intended to represent the JAS39A model, but as the two variants are effectively identical from the outside I have marked this one up as a C model, adding some spare Taurus and IRIS-T missiles from the Revell Typhoon kit. Link to  build page

The JAS39C variant of the Gripen adds a more powerful engine, air to air refuelling capability and improved NATO weapons compatability via a Mil-Std databus.

With a new colour glass cockpit, the JAS39C retains all the air to air capability of the JAS39A, but provides additional air to ground capabilities and new weapons systems including the KEPD350 Taurus cruise missile. Similar to the UK-French Storm Shadow / Apache missile, Taurus is larger and with a greater (<500km) range, onboard defensive counter measures and specialist anti-bunker warhead.

As well as new build aircraft, many existing JAS39A aircraft have now been converted to C standard. Gripens now also carry the latest IRIS-T short range air-to-air missile, a highly agile and full backward compatible Sidewinder replacement.

Friends & Allies - Part 3c - Sweden

SAAB J-29 Tunnan

F3 Wing, Malmen (Linkoping), Royal Swedish Air Force, 1963

I have always thought the barrel shaped Tunnan looked impressively pugnacious, so acquired this kit to add to my Gripens and Viggens. As is normal for Matchbox, the panel lines are very deep and detail rather crude, but buildability and fit are good.

Link to build page

The Saab J-29 first flew in the early 1950s and continued in front-line service up until the 1970s. Based on WW2 German swept wing developments, the J-20, or Flygande Tunnan (flying barrel) was fast and agile, with power provided by a Swedish built variant of the DeHavilland Ghost turbojet. A total of 661 Tunnans were built, making it the largest production run of any Saab aircraft. In 1954 it briefly held the world air speed record with a verified 607 Mph over a 500km closed circuit course.

The Tunnan's early crash record was poor, due to the advanced and demanding nature of the jet engines and swept wings. As a result the Swedish Air Force purchased twin seat De Havilland Vampire T.11s to train their J-29 pilots.

Swedish Tunnans saw combat service in the Congo from 1961 to 1964, flying ground attack missions in support of the UN peacekeeping forces. The aircraft were rated very highly by those who saw them, with their performance and availability at least the match of any of the aircraft fielded by the major powers. The final F variant of the J-29 introduced an afterburning Ghost engine, plus a dogtooth wing to improve maneuverability and from 1963, the capability to carry AIM 9B Sidewinder air to air missiles on wing pylons.

Boeing Vertol 107 HKP-4,

Royal Swedish Navy, 2008.

The Boeing Vertol 107 design was selected by the US Marines in early 1961 as the CH-46 Sea Knight assault helicopter and remained in US service until 2014, when the last squadrons converted to the MV-22 Tilt Rotor aircraft.

In Swedish service, the aircraft is known as the HKP-4; as well as its normal assault and cargo role with the Swedish Air Force, Swedish Navy Vertols are used as Anti-Submarine helicopters, fitted with a radar dome on the rear ramp and capable of carrying depth-charges and homing torpedoes. 107 variants were also built under licence by Kawasaki in Japan.  Link to build page

The Swedish Air Force (Svenska Flygvapnet) first stood up as an independent force in 1926, combining aircraft from the Swedish Navy and Army. Steadfastly neutral for the first 99 years of its existence, Sweden became a full member of NATO in 2025 in the face of increasing Russian threats and aggression.  

July 2026 marked the celebration of its 100th year in existence.

Since the end of the 2nd World War, the Swedes have maintained a highly capable and advanced force, mainly based around indigenous (and often highly innovative) designs from Saab, that have been optimised for Sweden’s needs.

Saab S-32C Lansen (Lance)

Södermanlands Flygflottilj 11,  Nyköping - Skavsta Air Base, 1960.

Heller 1/72

The Saab 32 Lansen (Lance) was a highly successful and advanced post WW2 Swedish aircraft that entered service with the Flygvapnet in 1960, continuing in some specialised roles until the 1990s.  Its design drew heavily on WW2 Nazi research that was retrieved by Sweden via Switzerland in 1945, specifically Messerschmitt's P11xx series of projects, clearly reflected in some of its design features (even its original project name - P1150 - reflects this).

The Saab design team included a brace of former Messerschmitt engineers, led by aerodynamic designer Hermann Behrbohm who had worked with the Lippisch brothers on tailless delta wings, on the Me-262 and the P11xx projects.  Although not implicated in war crimes, he fled to Switzerland in the aftermath of WW2, then moved to Sweden (and finally the UK).  Behrbohm also worked on the Saab 29 Tunnan and Saab 35 Draken, whose design links to late war Messerschmitt and Lippisch proposals are also evident.

Like many early jet designs, the Lansen was difficult to fly and suffered a high rate of attrition, with nearly 30% lost in accidents, resulting in the death of 100 crew and 7 civilians.  One of its intended roles was as a Tactical Strike aircraft, with design closely linked to the Swedish Tactical Nuclear Weapons programme (which was eventually cancelled, with funds diverted to the J37 Viggen project).

Three main variants were produced:  the original A-32A attack aircraft, the J32-B interceptor and the S32-C maritime reconnaissance aircraft, the latter especially important to Sweden because the Baltic sea was the expected vector of any Soviet attack on the country.  Target Tug and ECM variants were also produced later in the aircraft's service life.  The A-32A Lansen carried one of the first operational anti-ship sea skimming missiles, the RB04, which was developed to work with the aircraft's advanced Ericsson radar. Fighters were armed with local produced variants of the early Sidewinder missile, whereas ground attack variants also carried unguided rockets.

Lansens were capable of supersonic flight in a shallow dive and were powered by a licence-built variant of the Rolls Royce Avon, the RM5.    Link to build page

Saab J35 F2 Draken

Flygflottilj 10, Ängelholm Air Base, 1965

Airfix 1/72 with scratch decals

The Saab J-35 Draken was another very advanced Swedish aircraft.  Although the design was mostly Swedish, it also built on Nazi developments extracted from Switzerland after WW2.  As with the Lansen, a number of prominent ex-Messerschmitt and Lippisch engineers contributed to the programme.  

The Draken was designed as a very fast air defence interceptor, intended to face high flying Soviet bombers as they crossed the Baltic sea.  Its revolutionary double delta wing was adopted to overcome CofG issues with a pure delta.  Powered (like the Lansen) by a locally built licensed Rolls Royce Avon (the RM6) fitted with a Swedish-designed afterburner, its performance was superb with a top speed of Mach 2.3 at 36,000 feet and a service ceiling of 60,000ft.  Although not part of its design remit, the aircraft turned out to be very manoeuvrable, with Swedish pilots trained to take advantage of the large wing area in what is now known as a Cobra Manoeuvre, to slow the aircraft rapidly, forcing any pursuing jet to overshoot.

Armament normally consisted of one or two 30mm Aden Canon (depending on variant), unguided rockets and the Rb28/27 Falcon (AIM-4B/AIM26B) Air to Air Missile (it is unclear whether the modified Swedish Falcons were more effective than the very poor performance of US ones).  Drakens were exported to Denmark, Finland and Austria, with Danish aircraft fitted to carry 4 bombs in an attack role and Finnish aircraft adapted to carry Soviet R-13M air to air missiles.

Drakens first entered service in 1959, with the last operational flight in 1999. Link to Build Page

SAAB VIGGEN

SAAB 37 Viggen

2nd Prototype/development aircraft

As is often the case with kit manufacturers, in their rush to sell a Viggen kit, Airfix produced the prototype, which is very different from the later production versions. Although it looks the part, it is a rather crude kit, which doesn't fit together all that well.

"Viggen" is apparently a play on words - not only is it the mythical sound of Thor's hammer, but it is also a type of duck, most appropriate for a canard winged aircraft (although I have never personally seen a duck with wings at the front!).

Designed as a multi-role fighter, able to operate from Sweden's dispersed airfields (including sections of highway) its development represented an astonishing achievement for a single nation. One of the Viggen's roles was to patrol the Baltic sea, keeping track of NATO and Warsaw Pact aircraft and shipping and guarding Swedish neutrality.  Link to build page

SAAB AJ-37 Viggen

"Flygflottilj 7,  Skaraborg Wing, Såtenäs Air Base, 1980

Heller 1/72

Four main variants were produced, the AJ-37 Attack Aircraft, Sk-37 2-seat trainer, SF (and SH)-37 reconnaissance variant, and the JA-37 interceptor.  Vi

ggens entered service in 1971 and remained until 2005 when finally replaced by the Gripen.  Armament included Skyflash, and AMRAAM BVR missiles, Sidewinder, rocket pods or bombs, RB04 and RBS-15 anti-ship missiles, plus Rb05 short range stand-off misisles

Viggens saw no export success, with the only real prospect (India) being blocked by the US  (thus encouraging the Indians to buy British and Russian aircraft instead).  Link to build page

SAAB Sk-37 Viggen Trainer

"Flygflottilj 7,  Skaraborg Wing, Såtenäs Air Base, 1980

Heller 1/72  Link to build page

SAAB / Bombardier Globaleye

Company Demonstrator, RIAT, 2023

3d printed  Files from 3D_araujo 1/72

GlobalEye is based on the highly successful Bombardier 6000 series business jet, built in Toronto, Canada. Basic airframes are delivered to SAAB in Linkoping, Sweden for conversion into AEW platforms by adding SAAB's EriEye AESA radar in a canoe fairing above the cabin.  A British-made Seaspray surface radar is also slung beneath the cabin, giving a precision surface (sea and land) search and track capability.  ELINT specialised versions are also available.

GlobalEye carries a much smaller crew than the E-3 Sentry, with 7 onboard operators assisted by AI, plus a high bandwidth data link to ground controllers. Its main radar has a range of around 450-550km, enabled by the GlobalEye's ability to fly higher than the E-3 (or E-7).  The aircraft itself can remain on station for more than 12 hrs (although it cannot refuel in the air), can land on a short 6,500 ft runway and has a 7,000+ mile range. In overall terms, it is probably not as capable as an E-7 at managing a large battlespace, but offers significant capability , survivability and sustainability benefits over the much larger Boeing design.   For some countries, the Globaleye’s independence from the USA, no longer seen as a trustworthy ally, is also a major bonus.

Globaleye is already in service with Sweden and the UAE, with the latter using them extensively during the ongoing Iran conflict to track drones, ballistic missiles and sea surface traffic in the Gulf.  A further Gulf customer has placed an order, with NATO, France and the Netherlands expected to order theirs soon.  It has also been selected by South Korea and Canada continues to give it serious consideration.  Link to build page

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