SÅTENÄS - Gripen

Martin Scharenborg and Ramon Wenink/Global Aviation Review Press visited Såtenäs Air Base, the cradle of Gripen flying and home of the Swedish HerculesN est fleet.

The introduction of the Gripen into service shifted Sweden’s air force strategy from an attack and reconnaissance force to that of air defence. This JAS 39C is armed with two SAAB RBS-17F anti- ship missiles, two AIM-120 AMRAAMs and a pair of IRIS-T AAMs. All images via authors unless stated

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HE REMOTE location of operational service at Såtenäs Såtenäs Air Base, close on June 9, 1996, but was phased Tto the Baltic and North out from 2012 when the JAS Seas, lends it considerable 39C/D became operational. strategic importance. Aircraft were first stationed at the base, Gripen Training which is in southern Sweden All new Gripen pilots receive alongside Lake Vänern, between transition training at Såtenäs. The Trollhättan and Lidköping, six-month programme includes shortly after the outbreak of theory lessons and 20 sorties in World War Two. These Caproni the station’s multi-mission trainers Ca 313S bombers suffered multiple and full mission simulators (FMS), shortcomings and, after several fatal before the first flight in a twin-stick JAS accidents, they were replaced from 1942 39D. After ten sorties in the back seat, the by Swedish-built Saab B17 bombers. student makes his or her first solo flight. From 1946, the Saab J21A replaced the In total, 55 sorties are flown, including B17 in the attack role, supplemented by the at least 45 live flying hours, before the Saab B18 from 1948. Såtenäs entered the pilot is assigned to one of the three jet age in the late 1950s with the Saab J21R, Gripen wings: F7 at which was replaced by the Saab J29 Tunnan Såtenäs, F17 at Ronneby and F21 at Luleå- in 1954; the Saab A32 Lansen ousted the Kallax. Graduates receive further combat Tunnan in 1956. The formidable Saab AJ37 readiness training (CRT) on their wing. Viggen appeared at Såtenäs in 1973, in Maj Patrik Svensson, commanding roles including attack and reconnaissance. officer of F7’s 2 ‘Ghost’ Squadron said: In 1996 the first Saab JAS 39 Gripen “Combat readiness training has three arrived for the two based squadrons stages. CRT1 is training within visual and the station’s strategic focus shifted range for offensive counter air defence, from attack and reconnaissance to air counter air and weapons handling. defence. The JAS 39A/B entered full CRT2 is the advanced air-to-air course,

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“We’re very happy with the Gripen. In comparison to the Viggen it is very easy to maintain and built to be managed by just one or two technicians."

including beyond visual range tactics, visual identification and a little low flying. CRT3 is all about air interdiction, and reconnaissance. It’s quite intense!” International Training An international Gripen training centre was Above: Maj Patrik Svensson, CO of 2 ‘Ghost’ Squadron of F7 Wing at Såtenäs. He had previously fl own established at Såtenäs with the lease of Viggens and considers the lightweight Gripen better suited to the air interception role. JAS 39C/D aircraft to and the Czech Below: Groundcrews start their check procedures on a JAS 39D that has just returned from a DACT mission Republic. Its first student pilots arrived over southern Sweden. early in 2005. Technicians are trained at the Technical School in Halmstad and at F7. Students from a third country arrived in 2009, when the Thai Air Force bought six JAS 39C/D aircraft, followed by a second batch of six. On September 9, 2015, the Brazilian Government signed a US$4.68bn contract for 36 JAS 39E/Fs for delivery from 2019. The first Brazilian pilots and technicians arrived at Såtenäs early in 2015 for JAS 39C/D familiarisation. With basic and advanced Gripen training complete, foreign instructors train students in their own country. Part of this continued international training is a special tri-annual exercise named Lion Effort. As many Gripen operators as possible attend, sharing information and tactics, and improving interoperability. The most recent Lion Effort was held at Caslav, , in 2015 and the will host the next event in 2018. Back at Såtenäs, however, with the Gripen lease postponed or perhaps cancelled, few foreign students are

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“We’re very happy with the Gripen. In comparison to the Viggen it is very easy to maintain and built to be managed by just one or two technicians."

Above: Sweden’s only C-130H Hercules tanker 84007 serves with 71 Tactical Airlift Squadron and regularly provides IFR training for the JAS 39C Gripen pilots from F7 Wing. Below: Approximately 70 Sk60s remain in service with the Swedish Air Force. Here, Sk60E 60083, fl ies in close formation with a JAS 39C on a training fl ight.

currently in training and the international effort is scaling down as a result. Until December 31, 2015 No. 2 Squadron was responsible for training Swedish Gripen pilots while 1 ‘Spider’ Squadron worked with the international students. But F7 ceased being a full educational wing on January 1, 2016 and 2 Squadron is now operational. The ‘Spider’ Squadron has taken over all basic Gripen conversion training for new pilots coming from the Luftstridsskolan (Flight School) at Linköping/Malmen and also trains the few remaining international students. Air-to-air gunnery and close air support are practised at least once a year at in northern Sweden, while strafing is practised at Karlsborg and over the Baltic. Operational F7 Gripen pilots typically fly Sk60s to leave in 2017 around 80 hours per year, rising as high The , or Sk60, entered Swedish At Såtenäs, F7 has around four Sk60s, as 100 hours when they are scheduled to Air Force service in three versions from primarily used for weather reconnaissance. participate in international exercises. 1967. The Sk60A was a two-seat liaison and Before the day’s fl ying begins, an Sk60 will Maj Svensson explained: “F17 and F21 training aircraft, the Sk60B a light attack perform a visual check in the airspace around pilots fly 120 hours annually. Since F7 platform and the Sk60C a reconnaissance and the base and in its manoeuvring areas. was an educational wing we only had light attack platform. “Although this sounds expensive, it’s more 80 hours’ stick time, because for the Later the Sk60D and Sk60E were developed, expensive to cancel fl ights because of poor rest you stayed in the back seat.” with provision for four fi xed seats to weather preparation,” said Maj Svensson. replace the standard pair of ejection seats, The Sk60’s also fl y regular liaison fl ights, Maintenance creating a four-seat liaison and transport transporting technicians or high-ranking “We’re very happy with the Gripen. aircraft. Around 70 Sk60s continue to personnel between bases. Sweden is looking Compared to the Viggen it is very easy to serve the Swedish Air Force, most of them for a more economical replacement for the maintain and built to be managed by just with the Luftstridsskolan (Flight School) Sk60 and has examined the Pilatus PC-21, one or two technicians. It’s therefore very at Linköping/Malmen. A few also fl y with Alenia Aermacchi M-346 and BAe Hawk. cost effective,” said Lt Col Niclas Berger, the Sambandsfl ygrupp (Station Flights) at Although a decision has yet to be made, the commander of the JAS 39 Air Maintenance Såtenäs, Ronneby and Luleå-Kallax. Sk60 will leave Såtenäs in 2017. Unit (AMU). The AMU comprises two

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“Flying the Gripen is a new and beautiful experience. It ’s ver y easy to fl y and very agile."

maintenance companies and a ground support equipment (GSE) company. “We fly 5,000 sorties a year here at Såtenäs, thanks to the Gripen’s excellent maintainability. With help of its built-in MGSS [Maintenance Ground Support System] we’re able to locate and isolate system faults. In the beginning we had lots of problems with it, but now it works brilliantly. After each flight it checks Above: All new Gripen pilots 3,500 points. In comparison with other, undergo their conversion older aircraft it’s like flying to the moon! training at Såtenäs which can take “Here in the AMU we’re able to do minor up to six months. modifications, turn-around checks, As well as ground school fault isolation/finding and repairs and lessons, they undertake 20 servicing up to 800 flying hours. Major sorties in one of the full mission simulators at the modifications, structural repairs and base before their fi rst fl ight servicing at 800 hours and above is in a twin-seat JAS 39D. done by FMV at Linköping/Malmen. “The Swedish Air Force operates 97 JAS 39C/Ds. It’s an excellent aircraft, but essentially a flying computer. As a Gripen maintainer you need to know a lot about computers and software, but

56 OCTOBER 2016 #343 www.airforcesmonthly.com SÅTENÄS AIR BASE - SWEDEN especially the software, since it will make the Gripen a highly capable aircraft for the next few decades. We currently run MS19 software, but in May 2016 we began updating the Såtenäs Gripens with MS20, or Edition 20 software. “This adds new , weapon and combat functions, including the capability to employ the MBDA radar-guided beyond visual range air-to-air missile alongside the current AIM-120 AMRAAM, IRIS-T and AIM-9 Sidewinder. It also enables the Gripen to deploy the 250lb Boeing GBU- 39 Small Diameter Bomb. Other MS20 updates renew the Gripen’s ground collision avoidance system, its self-protection suite, , digital combat air support, reconnaissance functions and support for navigation in civilian airspace.” Above: Climbing away in , On July 11, 2016, with MS20 software two JAS 39Cs practise an air interception introduced to all the JAS 39C/Ds in the mission over southern Sweden. Conversion Swedish Air Force inventory, Meteor entered training for all new Gripen pilots is now in the hands of 1 ‘Spider ‘Squadron. its initial operational capability phase. Below: Improvements to the Gripen fl eet involved a new MS20 software upgrade Gripen Flying that will enable the jets to carry the new Maj Svensson recalled: “Flying the Gripen MBDA Meteor BVRAAM and the Boeing GBU-39 small diameter bomb. is a new and beautiful experience. It’s very easy to fly and very agile. It doesn’t have for Peace exercises including Frisian Tp79 (Dakota) and Tp83 (Pembroke). In the biggest engine, but if you release the Flag, Trident Juncture, Red Flag and March 1965 the first of eight Lockheed stick briefly it accelerates rapidly and I think Lion Effort, I can say for sure that the C-130 Hercules was delivered, making that’s the most fun part! Compared to Gripen is a very capable aircraft. Today’s Sweden the first European Hercules the Viggen, its handling is also easier due operations are very different to the operator. In 1969 the second aircraft was to its fly by wire. It accelerates far more reconnaissance missions I flew over delivered, followed by the third in 1975. quickly because of its light weight; the the Baltic Sea in the reconnaissance The remaining five arrived in 1981. Viggen was so big that it took too long to version of the Viggen in the mid-90s. In 1968 the first Swedish Hercules get back into the fight in 2 v 2 air combat. “You saw strange things from time to participated in a UN operation to “The Gripen is also capable of carrying a time, with Russian naval vessels and Biafra, painted white and wearing red wide range of modern weapons, including aircraft. Nowadays we have big COMAOs crosses and civilian markings. It was the Saab RBS15 anti-ship missile, GBU-12 [combined air operations], where there the beginning of an intensive career for laser-guided bomb, laser- and are so many aircraft it’s difficult to the type, which has continued to play an GPS-guided maintain situational awareness.” important role in humanitarian missions. GBU-49 and a wide In 2004, Hercules were sent to range of air-to- Still Going Strong in the aftermath of the Boxing air missiles. Såtenäs is also home of the Swedish Air Day tsunami, and Swedish Hercules “Having flown Force transport fleet. Aircraft that have were the first aircraft to arrive on the in NATO and flown from the base since World War scene in Tacloban, Philippines in the Partnership Two include the Tp55 (DHC-4 Caribou), aftermath of typhoon Haiyan in 2013. Although there is considerable demand for the aircraft, a recent Swedish Air Force study concluded that it was more economical to maintain a fleet of only six Hercules. As a result, in 2014 two aircraft were flown to Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group at Cambridge Airport for storage. According to

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A JAS 39C over the stunning Swedish countryside not far from its home base.

Swedish Air Force sources, one will be we are doing the flight data and voice the Balkans. There was shooting going sold and the other used for spare parts. recorder update at Marshall. A glass on and the ATC decided at the very last Of the remaining operational aircraft, cockpit will follow in 2018. We’ve visited moment where and when we should land. Flight Refuelling/Cobham converted 336 Squadron in the Netherlands many During one approach our aircraft was hit, 84002/842 into a tanker/transport in times, and the upgrades they have on their but we only suffered minor damage.” 2010. Capt Jonas Brunoson, a pilot with 71 aircraft are exactly what we’re looking for. Tactical Airlift Squadron at Såtenäs said: “The ECM suite will also be updated and Challenging Times “Our aircraft was a test-bed and we did engine parts and other crucial systems With Russian aircraft flying close to a lot of trials for Cobham. It has a fixed need to be replaced as well. During 2016 Sweden’s border, the Air Force is, despite system without additional internal fuel we’ll be testing new flares on the aircraft.” many cutbacks, optimising its air defence tanks. We can transfer around 3,000lb capability. For F7 this means preparing of fuel per minute and the Gripen’s Proud to Fly for the new JAS 39E/F Gripen from 2019 fuel consumption is so low that we can Capt Brunoson recalled: “I’ve flown many and the use of highway landing strips. refuel several times during one sortie. missions in the C-130 and been to many During the this scenario was “We did a lot of air refuelling and gained places. That was a main reason why I regularly practised on Highway 44, southeast a great deal of experience supporting our made a switch in my career – flying a large of the air base, but fell into abeyance in the Gripens during the Libyan campaign in cargo plane is far more exciting than flying early 2000s. Now the Gripen squadrons at 2011. We have 250 hours assigned annually helicopters around your home base. Såtenäs are training for road flying again. for air refuelling missions and there is “The missions to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Operations are from parking positions high demand. We train a lot with Swedish flying out of Termez in Uzbekistan and Al just outside the base, where special field Gripens, but also extensively with Finnish Bateen in the UAE, were very demanding. hangars are erected for aircraft servicing. F-18s. We are currently working towards High altitudes, gravel runways and extreme The jets taxi via tracks to the main runway certification with the Czech Gripens and temperatures made it difficult to calculate to simulate highway operations. there are plans to do the same with the how much cargo you could take. The enemy Maj Svensson explained: “Compared with later this year.” presence made it even more challenging. the Viggen it’s very easy to operate the “But my most remarkable mission was Gripen from short runways. It has carbon Mali Mission flying to Jan Mayen in the Ocean. fibre brakes and only needs 800m to stop.” With 250 Swedish troops deployed to Mali There was lots of volcanic ash and we made Sweden will eventually begin regular for the United Nations Multidimensional a visual approach to the airport; our first operations from highway strips again, and Integrated Stabilization Mission to alternative airfield was Bodø in .” as a foretaste Gripens from F21 at Luleå- Mali (MINUSMA) mission, the Swedish Capt Michael Scander, commander of Kallax participated in Exercise Baana 2015 in Air Force planned six three-week Hercules maintenance at Såtenäs, added: September 2015. Held in Finland, it included deployments to the country in 2016, to “My most remarkable mission was flying operations from Highway 924, near the conduct daily flights between Bamako into Sarajevo Airport during the war in city of Hosio, south of Rovaniemi Air Base. and Timbuktu. Many other locations where Swedish troops are stationed, including Afghanistan, are also serviced. From April 14 to 24, two Hercules participated in the ‘Green Flag Little Rock’ exercise at Little Rock AFB, Arkansas and Fort Polk, Louisiana, where they trained alongside USAF and RAAF Hercules. There is also close co-operation with other countries through the Air Transport & Air-to-Air Refuelling and other Exchange of Services (ATARES) organisation, which aims to resolve shortages in members’ transport capacity under the supervision of European Air Transport Command (EATC) - see European Airlift Capabilities, p60. Capt Brunoson explained: “The principle is very simple; you pay with flying hours for flying hours. We recently flew to Greenland for the Danish Air Force and to Reunion for France.” He also said: “Although our Hercules have considerable airframe time left, they are in need of extensive modification. The Above: Såntenäs is the centre of Gripen training for Swedish Air Force and international pilots. With many tanker received a new probe light and orders for the fi ghter still on the books, the base will be training JAS 39 pilots for the foreseeable future.

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