Saab’s new AEW&C aircraft has successfully completed its maiden flight.

On Mar. 14, Saab GlobalEye, a modified Bombardier Global 6000 jet turned into surveillance platform, took off on its first flight at 12.52 LT from Saab’s airfield in Linköping, Sweden.

The aircraft was officially unveiled to the media on Feb. 23, 2018. It carries a full suite of sophisticated sensors including the powerful new extended range radar (Erieye ER), an AESA (active electronically scanned array) radar. The Erieye ER is contained within the same “skibox” fairing used by other AEW platforms (i.e. the Hellenic Air Force EMB-145H), but new technologies, such as gallium nitride transmit/receive modules are said to provide a 70% increase in detection range.

The aircraft is also equipped with the Leonardo Seaspray 7500E X-band maritime search radar and a FLIR Systems EO/IR (electro-optical/infra-red) turret below the nose.

The GlobalEye launch customer is the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, where it is known as the Swing Role Surveillance System (SRSS). Three aircraft have been ordered in 2015. The SRSS won’t be the UAE AF’s first AEW&C platform: two Saab 340AEW&C were delivered as an interim solution between 2010 and 2011. Although it’s not clear what will happen to these two aircraft as the new GlobalEye enters active service, the new assets, with the first application of the Erieye ER, will give the UAE a pretty unique AEW force among the Gulf States, with simultaneous airborne, maritime, and ground surveillance capability. Moreover, the UAE AF is about to be equipped with other heavily-modified Global 6000 aircraft: two such planes are reportedly being modified by Marshall Group at Cambridge, UK, into ELINT/SIGINT platforms.

The maiden flight of the GlobalEye, preceded by a series of ground trials including high and low speed taxi tests (during those the aircraft started “pinging” on ADS-B), lasted 1 hour 46 minutes. During the flight, the aircraft (with registration SE-RMY) could be tracked online on Flightradar24 portal.

According to Saab, the test flight was important to collect extensive flight-test data using the on-board instrumentation suite. This data is then used to verify the aircraft performance and associated modelling.

“The first flight is the second major milestone for the GlobalEye programme within a very short space of time. Yet again we have demonstrated that we are delivering on our commitments and that we are on track with our production of the world’s most advanced swing-role surveillance system,” said Anders Carp, Senior Vice President and head of Saab’s business area Surveillance, in a public release.

“Today’s flight went as planned, with the performance level matching our high expectations. The aircraft’s smooth handling was just as predicted and a real pleasure for me to fly,” said Magnus Fredriksson, Saab Experimental Test Pilot.

Image credit: Saab

A pretty interesting video that includes g-forces details: – 3 to +9g.

Disclaimer: the following video is obviously marketing stuff. Still, it’s interesting enough to deserve a post on this blog.

It shows the Saab Gripen display, filmed with a camera attached to the pilot’s helmet complemented by acceleration details. Therefore, it gives an idea of the g-forces on André Brännström, Saab test pilot, as he performs extreme aerobatics with the JAS-39 Gripen C light single-engine multirole fighter aircraft. Note the g-units going up and down from +9 to – 3!

The aircraft in the C/D variants is operated by the Air Forces of Sweden, Czech Republic, Hungary, South Africa and Thailand. The Brazilian Air Force ordered 28 Gripen E and 8 Gripen F aircraft with 72 more to be ordered.

The Swedish Gripens have taken part to the Air War in Libya in 2011.

 

On May 18, 2016, Saab unveiled the new variant of the Gripen fighter, designated Gripen E. The aircraft made its first flight on Jun. 15, 2017.

The Gripen E is a new multirole variant of the Swedish fighter based on the proven C/D platforms tailored for the future Network Centric Warfare (NCW) environment. The aircraft is much similar to its predecessors, an IRST bump in front of the cockpit in the nose section as well as the missile warning system on the air intakes are the main external differentiators. According to Saab, Gripen E offers operational dominance and flexibility with superior mission survivability. Air-to-air superiority is guaranteed with METEOR, AMRAAM, IRIS-T, AIM-9 missile capability and supercruise.

Air-to-surface capability is assured through the use of the latest generation precision weapons and targeting sensors. Gripen E’s superior situation awareness is ensured through an AESA radar, IRST passive sensor, HMD, cutting-edge avionics, next generation data processing and a state-of-the-art cockpit.

H/T Fredrik Öberg for the heads up!

Rock-steady footage at speeds exceeding 300 knots.

This footage does not need too much explanations.

According to Blue Sky Aerial’s Peter Degerfeldt, “Saab Defence and Security needed a heavy-duty camera system to capture its Gripen fighter jet’s top speeds of over 345 mph and US-based company Blue Sky helped by building a customized gyro-stabilized camera. Consisting of a 6K Red Dragon digital camera and $40K USD Canon lens, the 5-axis system yields rock-steady images, even at speeds of more than 300 knots.”

Watch out the stunning footage shot from a SK60 photoship.

H/T Henry Blom for the heads-up

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Here’s an interesting video, showing the SAAB J-37 Viggen at work in Sweden some years ago.

The footage brings you in the cockpit of the Swedish Air Force’s delta wing plane, at very low level, over unpopulated areas covered by snow and on the range, to fire rockets.

It was filmed by the F21 (21st Wing) at Luleå and Vidsel air bases.

The front line Viggen aircraft were retired from the Swedish Air Force in November 2005 and replaced by JAS 39 Gripen. A few examples were kept flying for electronic warfare training against Gripen before being eventually retired in June 2007.

 

 

H/T to Lars-Gunnar Holmström for sending the link to the video.

 

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The Saab J-35 Draken is one of the most famous Swedish aircraft, ever.

However, its particular double delta wing configuration was something never seen before in the ’50s and, in order to move towards that new shape, a special test-bed scale model was developed.

The experimental aircraft, that was given the designation Saab 210 Lill-Draken, was scaled down to 70 percent of the planned size and was then used to test the low speeds flight characteristics and to validate the assumptions made before undertaking full-scale construction.

The weird flying machine (a flying saucer-plane-car hybrid) made its maiden flight on Jan. 21, 1952, piloted by Bengt Olow

According to SAAB, their first and only experimental aircraft in history (currently on display at the Air Force museum in Linköping, Sweden) “performed around 1,000 test flights over four years. The results provided valuable experience during development of the Saab 35 Draken.”

Image credit: SAAB Group

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