The Military Aviation Industry in Scandinavia

During the Cold War, the nations of Scandinavia took two different approaches in seeking to achieve military security. Norway, Iceland, and Denmark all joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which made them allies of the United States. Iceland provided an important airfield at Keflavik, near the capital of Reykjavik, which became a valued stopover point for aircraft that lacked the range to fly the Atlantic nonstop.

Scandinavia's other nations, Sweden and Finland, remained neutral and avoided the superpowers' alliances. Nevertheless, both countries built up capable defense forces. Finland particularly made a point of purchasing equipment from both the Soviets and the West. One Finnish Air Force wing operated Soviet-built MiG-21 fighters (and thereby gave Western observers a particularly good look at them). A second such unit flew fighter aircraft built in Sweden. Great Britain provided an electronic air defense control system, while also supplying advanced trainer aircraft that were assembled in Finland.

The Finnish firm of Finavitec, formerly known as Valmet, also built aircraft of its own. Since 1922 it has constructed 30 different types, including 19 of Finnish design. The collapse of the Soviet Union, after 1990, gave Finland greater freedom to turn to the West. Finavitec has responded by arranging to assemble Boeing F-18C fighters for Finland's Air Force.

Then there is Sweden. That country particularly cherishes its neutrality; it has not fought a war in nearly two centuries. It even stayed out of World War I and World War II. Yet it lives in a very tough neighborhood. To the west and south lie Norway and Denmark, conquered by the Nazis in 1940. To the east is Finland, invaded by the Soviets in 1939 and forced to yield valuable territory. Sweden thus has not relied exclusively on its diplomats in dealing with other powers but has put much effort into achieving armed strength.

Sweden has long been known for excellence in its armaments. Alfred Nobel, founder of the Nobel prizes, was a Swede who made his fortune as a manufacturer of munitions. The Swedish firm of Bofors built a strong reputation for its guns. Still, with a population of around eight million, that country stands out through its strong commitment to strength through air power. Only Israel, beset by hostile Arabs, matches Sweden in combining low population with a superb domestic air industry and a first-rate Air Force.

How does Sweden do it? In terms of its population, it is as though the state of Michigan or New Jersey were to become an independent air power. Sweden's aviation industry gains strength through close ties with its auto manufacturers, Saab and Volvo. The industry cuts the price per airplane by building many of them, which spreads out the program cost. To reduce the cost of engines, Sweden builds modified versions of U.S. designs under license. The nation also cuts costs by building fighters for air defense, rather than bombers that are more expensive and would count as an offensive threat. Its Air Force avoids large air bases that are also costly (and would provide tempting targets in a war). Instead, its planes are built to fly from ordinary roadways—which means that any stretch of forest might hide an active squadron.

Sweden's Air Force does not follow a "Buy Swedish" policy by insisting on the use of domestically built aircraft. Its generals remain free to purchase warplanes built in other nations, including the United States. This keeps domestic planebuilders on their toes, knowing that their designs must be as good as the best. When competing with overseas firms, Swedish industry makes sales by tailoring designs to Sweden's specific needs. These include operation from remote areas amid cold and snow, along with the ability to take off and land from short stretches of roadway.

The name "Saab" originally stood for Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolag, the Swedish Airplane Corporation. It was originally set up in 1937 to build warplanes, expanding into the realm of motorcars only after the war. From the outset it worked closely with the engine-building form of Flygmotor, a branch of Volvo. During the war, Flygmotor built some 1,200 engines under license to overseas manufacturers, but the planes were Saab's own. It constructed nearly a thousand of them, as bombers, fighters, and reconnaissance craft. With this, wartime Sweden resembled Switzerland. Both nations were neutral but well armed; both bordered Germany but nevertheless avoided Nazi invasion.

Saab's first postwar fighter was the jet-powered Tunnan, meaning "barrel." It took this name from its round and stubby fuselage and flew with a British De Havilland Ghost Engine that Flygmotor again built under license. The Tunnan was so good that it outflew America's F-86 fighter, which had won control of the skies during the Korean War by shooting down Soviet-built fighters. Some 660 Tunnans were delivered to the Swedish Air Force between 1951 and 1956.

Next came the Lansen, or Lance. It used another British engine, the Rolls-Royce Avon, again built under license. It was the first fighter built in Europe, and one of the first in the world, to carry air-to-surface guided missiles. It first flew in 1952, with some 450 being built between 1955 and 1960. It was so capable that some of them remained in service until 1977.

Sweden entered the era of supersonic flight with its Draken, the Dragon. It continued to use the license-built Avon but now added an afterburner and nozzle designed by Flygmotor itself, for high speed. Early versions reached 1.8 times the speed of sound; later models flew at twice this speed. It could intercept enemy aircraft in all weather under automatic control, drop 9,000 pounds (4,082 kilograms) of bombs, jam enemy radars or create false radar images, and then vanish into farmland. Over 600 were built, with deliveries beginning in 1959 and continuing into the 1970s. Some remained in service until the mid-1990s.

The most widely known Saab fighter was the Viggen, or "thunderbolt." It had an unusual shape that mounted small triangular wings forward of the main wings (called canards). These gave extra lift, enabling Viggins to land and take off from roadways with lengths of only 1,700 feet (518 meters). The Viggen reflected a move toward larger fighter aircraft that could carry heavier loads of weapons. Its engine showed that Flygmotor was reaching for greater independence, for it was a Pratt & Whitney JT8D, originally built for commercial airliners but modified by Flygmotor for supersonic flight. The Viggen first flew in 1967 and remained in production until 1990.

The newest fighter, the Gripen, takes its name from a mythical beast, the Griffin. However, the Gripen is certainly no myth; for several years this program consumed nearly one-third of Sweden's defense budget. It was designed as a lightweight high-performance fighter and was intended to replace the remaining Drakens as well as the Viggens. It serves the triple role of attack, interception, and reconnaissance. Its engine is a version of the existing F404, developed jointly by General Electric and Flygmotor. The first production aircraft joined the Swedish Air Force in 1993.

Electronic systems, including onboard computers, play vital roles in modern fighters. Sweden has several companies that work in this area as well. The nation also has extensive facilities for aeronautical research. With Gripens providing its air defense, Sweden is likely to maintain its armed neutrality far into the future.

—T.A. Heppenheimer

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