Sweden offers Ukraine two radar planes: ‘Good addition to F-16s’

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  Wessel de Jong

  a journalist

The Swedish authorities yesterday promised Ukraine two high-tech radar plane. “They’re invaluable,” stated Peter Wijninga, a former air pressure officer and protection knowledgeable affiliated with the Hague suppose tank HCSS. “That is the right complement to the F-16s.”

It’s about two Swedish Saab 340 plane. The plane are a part of the biggest army help package deal that Sweden has ever given to Ukraine. The package deal, which is now the sixteenth largest in Sweden, is price greater than a billion euros and likewise consists of tanks, armored automobiles, artillery weapons and air protection programs.

“That is what the Ukrainian Air Power wants now,” stated Swedish Protection Minister Jonsson. Sweden is taking these planes, “even when this implies a brief decline in our protection,” stated the minister. Ukraine will get the planes as a result of they had been “on the prime of their want checklist,” Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Busch stated.

Swedish Prime Minister Kristersson and Ukrainian Ambassador to Sweden at one of many donated planes:

Wijninga just isn’t stunned that the Swedes make such a beneficiant donation. “They need Ukraine to win the conflict. They hate the Russians, it is of their genes.” Wijninga refers back to the many wars that the Russians and the Swedes have fought previously centuries.

The Swedish surveillance plane “will information the F-16s within the occasion of an assault by plane, drones and missiles”, Wijninga expects. “They ship them to their vacation spot.”

The Saabs can see 400 to 500 kilometers away. “They fly about 100 kilometers from the Russian border, at a fairly secure distance,” says Wijninga. “Ukraine can then see 300 kilometers into Russia after which it will possibly detect an assault earlier.” The air defenses on the bottom will also be alerted by Swedish plane, so the Ukrainians are very proud of the planes.

Ukrainian conflict correspondent Illia Ponomarenko responds to X:

“It’s also attainable with out it, however then the warning time is shorter,” says Wijninga. “Ukraine has representatives in all places in Russia. As quickly as planes depart for bombing, the key service is knowledgeable.” In line with the protection knowledgeable, the query is whether or not Ukraine will have the ability to hold one aircraft within the air completely. “However protection will get profit air from right here at the very least.”

It is not going to be attainable to put in the Saabs instantly, because the required personnel nonetheless should be educated. Which will take a number of months.

On the identical time, the primary Ukrainian F-16 pilots have accomplished their flight coaching in america, on the Morris Air Nationwide Guard Base in Arizona, the identical middle the place Dutch pilots acquired their coaching.

Within the US, Ukrainian pilots realized to fly on their very own. In Romania, on the newly established European Flight Coaching Middle (EFTC), the Ukrainians will obtain the tactical a part of their coaching: studying the best way to use the weapons programs and getting used to native climate. The Netherlands stations eighteen F-16s right here.

Utilizing the F-16 is one factor, equipping them with weapons, refueling and sustaining them is one other matter. That’s far more sophisticated than with the previous Soviet plane that the Ukrainian floor crew is used to. Protection Minister Ollongren introduced final week that the primary ten Ukrainian upkeep engineers have accomplished their coaching within the Netherlands.

The Dutch coaching was primarily aimed toward making certain the security of the pilot. “Some corners had been lower right here as effectively,” Wijninga says of the coaching, which was shortened as a result of conflict. These employees can solely carry out first line upkeep. For main upkeep and inspections, second line upkeep, the plane might should be despatched to different areas in Europe.

Within the Netherlands this included solely ten educated technicians, and Ukraine has now acquired round 60 F-16s. The educated employees will present their experience on web site. “Coaching the trainers, that is frequent,” stated Wijninga.

It isn’t but identified the place the plane might be primarily based in Ukraine. And in addition secret, as a result of the Russians will wish to know. There may be hypothesis in regards to the Carpathians in western Ukraine, the place there are hangars within the mountains.