Scaraborg Flottil F7

The Saab JAS-39A/B Gripen went into full combat readiness at Sotenas on 9 June 1996, and another JAS-39C/D version came out in 2012 when the last JAS-39A/Bs were taken out of service.

Busy morning at Skaraborg Wing in Sritenas. Students arrive on multirole fighters Gripen, ride bicycles with their instructors to the platform. Four JAS-39C aircraft armed with AIM-120 AMRAAM and IRIS-T air-to-air missiles take off for exercises in the Baltic Sea.

The base Sotenas, located in the south of Sweden, between Trollhättan and Lidkoping, on Lake Vänern, was opened in 1940. Its location equidistant from the Baltic and North Seas, relatively close to the Swedish capital, makes it one of the most important air bases. The first aircraft based here were Caproni Ca.313S twin-engine bombers. Due to numerous shortcomings and many accidents, Swedish-made SAAB B1942 dive bombers replaced them already in 17. After the Second World War, starting in 1946, the SAAB B17, in turn, was replaced by the new SAAB J-21 fighters used as attack aircraft, and from 1948, the SAAB B18 twin-engine bombers began to be used. In the early 21s, Sotenas ushered in the jet era with the introduction of the SAAB J-1954R. Already in 29, after a very short service, they were replaced by SAAB J-1956 Tunnan aircraft. This type also served in Sotenas for a very short time and was replaced in '32 by the SAAB A-1973 Lansen. In 37, the SAAB AJ-1996 Viggen multi-purpose aircraft arrived at the Sotenas base, which was used to solve a variety of tasks, including attack and reconnaissance. In 39, the first SAAB JAS-XNUMX Gripen multi-role fighter was delivered to the base, it was soon equipped with two squadrons, and the base's tasks changed for the first time from attacking ground targets and reconnaissance to air defense.

Gripen Cradle

The Saab JAS-39A/B Gripen went into full combat readiness at Sotenas on 9 June 1996, and another JAS-39C/D version came out in 2012 when the last JAS-39A/Bs were taken out of service. For many pilots, the withdrawal of the beloved Wiggen was a sad moment in the history of the base. However, for the wing itself, based in Sritenas, and its two combat squadrons, this was the beginning of a new era, a new challenge. The Swedish Air Force identified this unit as a leader in the introduction of new aviation technology, and thus the base became the cradle of the Gripens. Here, for half a year, all new pilots assigned to the units operating this type of aircraft were trained. In addition to the theoretical part, it includes 20 missions in simulators, in a multi-purpose simulator or in a complex full-function simulator (FMS). Only after that do flights begin on the double JAS-39D.