The Swedish Airforce Norrbotten Wing F 21 will participate in Vaasa Airshow!
The Norrbotten Wing, F 21, operates the JAS 39 Gripen. F 21 is the northernmost Air Force Wing in Sweden, specializing in operating in subarctic climates. The main base is located in Luleå, with a mission of delivering air operational effect through two fighter jet divisions. The 211th Fighter Jet Division and the 212th Fighter Jet Division are based with them. They have one of the world’s largest air training areas, used by Swedish Air Force units and units from other countries. We utilize the JAS 39 Gripen system.
The display pilot is Henrik Björling, with the callsign “Sunshine”. Henrik holds the rank of major and serves alongside his duties as a display pilot in the 212th Fighter Jet Division. He will provide a six-minute display showcasing the capabilities of the Gripen.
JAS 39 Gripen: fighter, attack, and reconnaissance in one aircraft (hence JAS). It started in the 1970s with studies on a replacement for the Viggen fighter aircraft, with the vision of creating a unified aircraft for combat, attack, and reconnaissance missions. The Tunnan, Lansen, Draken, and Viggen have all been manufactured in various versions for different tasks. The designations AJ 37, JA 37, and AJS 37 suggest that the Viggen system made progress towards realizing the vision.
During the design phase, the goal was to find an optimal combination of features that met the requirements. Important elements turned out to be a movable canard wing combined with an electronic control system. This not only met the requirements at that time, but also increased the possibilities for future unconventional solutions.
With the JAS 39 Gripen, the Swedish Defense Material Administration (FMV) succeeded in integrating functions for fighter, attack, and reconnaissance into one and the same fighter aircraft. The result has been a small, fuel-efficient fighter aircraft with simplified maintenance and high availability, reducing the cost per flight hour and the total lifetime cost compared to other similar aircraft systems.
Open information from FMV:
JAS 39C/D Gripen
Dimensions
Length: 14.9 m
Wingspan: 8.4 m
Height: 4.5 m
Wing area: 30 m²
Track: 2.4 m
Wheelbase: 5.2 m
Weight
Empty weight: approx. 7000 kg
Max. external load distributed on eight beams: 5 300 kg
Max. takeoff weight: 14 000 kg
Performance
Max speed: Mach 2
Max speed at sea level: Mach 1.2
Range: > 3000 km
Load: 9 G
Takeoff distance: 400 m
Landing distance: 500 m
Time to 30 000 ft.: < 1 min
Fuel
Internal: 3000 l
Extra tank: 1000 l
Helicopter 14 (NH90)
The Swedish Armed Forces has 18 helicopter 14s, internationally known as NH90. It comes in maritime and land versions and is used by the helicopter squadrons based in Luleå and Ronneby. The maritime version is equipped with sonar equipment and tactical radar used for submarine hunting.
NH90 is the world’s first series-produced helicopter with a fully electronic control system. It consists of two digital and two analog computers that constantly make independent calculations and disregard results that do not match the “majority” opinion. This almost eliminates the risk of the control system being knocked out due to computer failure.
Another innovation is the composite fuselage made of fiberglass and carbon fiber instead of aluminum to save weight. Helicopter 14 is also difficult to detect on radar thanks to its hexagonal fuselage. The advanced weather radar also makes the craft weather-resistant enough to operate in harsh mountainous environments with strong winds and the risk of icing.
For heavy transport and rescue operations in hard-to-reach areas and at sea, this helicopter is unbeatable. It can also be used for sling load, winching, troop, and medical evacuation transport.
In connection with the order, the Swedish Armed Forces also requested that the working height in the cabin of the Swedish helicopters is increased from 157 centimeters to 182, a modification that the manufacturer now markets as HCV (High Cabin Version).
The Swedish Defense Forces will bring two of these helicopters to Vaasa Airshow, one for the static display and the other for the dynamic display.
