SAAB Gripen in the territorial dispersal. The video of a people who do not expect help from anyone. The Swedes who don’t even expect NATO to protect them from any external threat. Even if that threat is Russia… They entered the Alliance to reinforce what they already had. But NATO wanted entry more than Sweden needed it, which knew that the Allies would come to its aid anyway. The Swedish defense miracle ensures that the addition of allied defense capabilities would give a substantial sum far greater than simple mathematical addition would give. Because seriousness and determination bring results that listen to one name: Added value, making everyone want your attention.
For decades, after the end of World War II, Sweden maintained a policy of strict neutrality, albeit favorable to the West, covertly strengthening the “surveillance” of the Soviet Union several times… developing its own autonomous defense industry, but also its own military thinking. A continuous effort to adapt not only to the data that varies significantly from season to season, but also to the particularities of the environment in which the Swedish armed forces will be called upon to act.
In the context of this timeless philosophy and strategy, Sweden developed its own operational doctrine in the field of air operations as well. The DAS 90 dispersal system after nearly 30 years of inactivity is today reactivated in its entirety across the vast forested country to demonstrate that the design of this operational doctrine and the flexibility that is its key component, combined with the low cost, they ensure that it is effective over time and perhaps superior to any corresponding NATO. By watching the video we quote and which was the reason for this article, one realizes how far ahead the Swedish military operational philosophy is.
It is not only reflected in the phrases of the people speaking in the video:
- “Major air bases immediately become primary targets,”
- “accounting support is critical in this situation”, “we have the ability to move quickly between deployment bases, utilizing minimal infrastructure and personnel”,
- “what makes the Swedish defense system unique is that it is survivable for long periods of time during operations”,
- “using parts of the country’s road network we can become unpredictable and gain tactical advantage on the ground and in the air”,
- “by operating simultaneously from different regions, we can quote bigger numbers”.
It’s also the graphics used in the video… Which show emphatically how critical a factor is to re-service a fighter and load it with weapons by just five people and in just 15 minutes in a remote and isolated area. How critical a factor is the transport of materials, equipment and weapons, from just three vehicles. How critical a factor is the possibility of operations (takeoff and landing) from sections of the road network (straight lines), only 800 meters long.
How critical a factor is reliability, ease of use and availability of systems. Although the SAAB video aims to highlight the particular characteristics and virtues of the Gripen/Super Gripen fighter, it is a testament to how advanced the Swedish military thinking is.
The latter is very close to completing the homogenization process through upgrades of 100 JAS-39C/D fighters and the acquisition of 60 new build JAS-39E/F Super Gripen. From the Swedish side, therefore, an Air Force with 100 old-built fighters that have full operational capabilities in all roles in a modernized form and are fully interoperable via Data Link is listed.
In addition, the old and new Swedish fighters are certified to use a huge range of European and American airborne weapons in combination with LITENING targeting turrets (ATP). We do not mention them, we list them photographically below.
After all this, it is not only the military thinking and operational philosophy of the Swedes that will finally have to set an example for us. It is also that the basic principles that govern the armament programs are absolutely targeted. Autonomy through the maintenance of domestic industry, emphasis on certification of US and European airborne weapons, homogenization to reduce support costs and improve combat value, emphasis on reliability.
