While the most well-known Cold
War-era military jet aircraft came from Britain, the United
States, and the Soviet Union, Sweden quietly developed what would become the
most advanced fighter jet in Europe at the time. The Saab 37 Viggen was a mighty
machine with a name that alluded to millennia-old Norse mythology,
and it was easily recognizable as it was the first canard design
aircraft produced in quantity. The historic aircraft could fly steadily at
speeds above Mach 2 at high altitudes and operate from short runways, ready to serve
their home country at a moment’s notice. And despite Sweden maintaining a strict policy
of neutrality at the height of the Cold War, its pilots were willing to risk their
lives to do the right thing if a nuclear conflict with Russia were to explode, with
their Viggens more than ready for battle… Onto The Next Big Thing In the early 1950s, Saab Aerospace Company
developed the Draken, an aerodynamically advanced fighter that made its maiden flight in
1955. After this achievement, the Swedish Air Force immediately began setting the requirements
for its next generation of combat aircraft. Expected to fly no earlier than the mid-1960s,
the new aircraft was planned to be adaptable for all tactical mission roles, with an
integrated weapon system that would operate in conjunction with Sweden's national
electronic air defense system, STRIL-60. One radical requirement for the proposed
aircraft was its ability to operate from short runways only 1,640 feet long as
part of the Bas 60 air base system. Introduced in the late 1950s and developed
by the Swedish Air Force during the Cold War, Bas 60 revolved around the force dispersal
of many aircraft across several World War 2 air bases, including road
runways acting as backups. Other requirements included having
high maneuverability and low turbulence sensitivity at subsonic, low-level flight,
Mach 2 performance at high altitude, and the ability to be easily repaired and serviced,
even for personnel without much training. Enabling so many operations imposed
plenty of critical demands on the design. As such, over a hundred different
concepts were examined in previous studies to develop the best possible aircraft
with single- and twin-engine configurations, traditional and double-delta
wings, and canard installment. Cold War Happenings In 1960, the United States National Security
Council led by President Dwight D. Eisenhower presented Sweden with an irresistible proposition:
the 37-annex military-technology agreement, in which American officials promised military
help in the event of a Soviet attack. As part of the agreement, Sweden engineers were allowed access to
America's latest aeronautical technology, and the interactions made it more possible for
Saab to design a faster and cheaper aircraft. Then, in December of 1961, the Swedish government
approved the development of Aircraft System 37. Built at the height of the Cold War, when a
potential Russian attack was a genuine concern, this was by far the largest industrial
development task ever attempted in Sweden. By 1962, most of the project’s elements were
either finished or close to being fully developed, including the powerplant, ejector seat, arms,
reconnaissance systems, training equipment, and the fighter itself. A development
contract was subsequently signed in the fall. The daunting venture accounted for
ten percent of all Swedish research and development funding throughout the decade. The Lightning Ax The Saab 37 Viggen was a single-engine,
short-medium-range combat aircraft with a highly advanced aerodynamic
configuration for its time: a radical design featuring an
aft-mounted double delta wing. In addition, the aircraft had small,
high-set delta-shaped canard foreplanes, and the Saab model became the first
mass-produced aircraft to ever feature them. The name Viggen had two distinct meanings. The first referred to Askvigg, which is
historically translated to thunderstones. In Norse mythology, an Askvigg is what the
Viking-age inhabitants of Scandinavia called the prehistoric stone axes. Sent by
the God Thor in lightning strikes, these axes were believed to have magical
properties, like lightning protection. The second interpretation came from
Vigg, the Swedish word for tufted duck, in reference to its ‘canard’ configuration,
which is the French word for duck. While Saab originally planned to power the
Viggen with a single Rolls-Royce Medway engine, the aerospace company chose to license
the Pratt & Whitney JT8D engine when its development was canceled, and created a
modified version of it, the Volvo RM8. To keep the landing distance short, the Saab 37's
airframe included a thrust reverse to help slow the aircraft down. A one-of-a-kind creation in
single-engined aircraft, the thrust reverser could be used to taxi backward, similar to a
car. While backing up, however, the pilot needed to be careful not to use the wheel brake toe
pedals, as the aircraft could easily tip over. Since the early design period,
Saab engineers decided that the Viggen should replace the workload and performance of a second crew member with a digital
central computer and a head-up display. The computer, called Central Kalkylator 37,
was the world's first airborne machine to use integrated circuits, supporting the pilot
by performing functions such as navigation, flight control, and weapon-aiming calculations. Swedish Duck As originally planned, the first Saab 37 flew
in 1967, with the company's chief test pilot Erik Dahlstrom at the controls. Dahlstrom
described the new jet as easy to control. The Swedish government initially planned for 800
Viggens to replace all their other combat aircraft in service. However, a mix of inflation and
several eventualities reduced the total to 329. The first Saab 37 Viggen was delivered
to the Swedish Air Force in July of 1971. At the time of its introduction, the Viggen
was the most advanced fighter jet in Europe. Conversation training for the new Viggen
pilots included a minimum of 450 flight hours, including other models, the Viggen,
and several simulators that were seen as a decisive factor in the
ease of conversion to the type. By 1974, Sweden's newest fighter's safety and
reliability levels were above expectations. And while the Saab 37 wouldn't see combat service, it would prove to be a safe, reliable,
and easy-to-maintain aircraft. The finished product was an outstanding
performer, capable of hitting 1,386 miles per hour, climbing at 40,000 feet per minute, and
reaching a total service ceiling of 59,000 feet. For armament, the jet carried one 30-millimeter
Oerlikon KCA cannon with 125 rounds, and had three hard points under each
wing, plus three under the fuselage. One of its only significant issues
happened during low-level flight, in which birds constantly threatened the system. To counter this, the Swedish Air Force paid
closer attention to their migratory patterns. By then, the Swedish Air Force had two operation squadrons working with the Viggen,
with a third ready for training. In addition, there were
multiple versions of the type. The two primary ones were the AJ37 ground attack
version, which could carry up to 15,500 pounds of weapons load on nine hardpoints, and the
late JA37 all-weather interceptor version. Other variants served as strike fighters, aerial reconnaissance or maritime
patrol aircraft, and a two-seat trainer. Nordic Angels In the height of the Cold War, when East-West
tensions were at their highest point, Viggen pilots flew approximately 500
live Quick Reaction Alert or QRA missions per year to intercept any unidentified
aircraft approaching Swedish airspace. These targets came from both Warsaw
and NATO nations flying close to Swedish airspace over the Baltic
Sea and near the Gulf of Bothnia. Still, the most challenging QRA targets were
the United States Air Force's Lockheed SR-71 Blackbirds, with a reputation of being uncatchable
and able to outrun missiles. The SR-71's impressive performance capabilities provided a
unique opportunity for Viggen pilots to evaluate and experiment with several intercept solutions
against high-speed, high-altitude threats. By the mid-1980s, the Swedish pilots
managed to achieve radar lock-on with radar on the SR-71 numerous times by
using the predictable patterns of the Blackbirds’ routine flights over the Baltic Sea. Soon after, in June of 1987, a Blackbird
flown by Lieutenant Colonels Duane Noll and Tom Veltri experienced a sudden
engine failure during one such mission. While flying over the neutral waters of
the Baltic Sea near Soviet territory, one of the jet's powerful Pratt & Whitney
J58-1 afterburning turbofan engines lost power. The crew had no choice but to descend
to 25,000 feet over Swedish airspace, and the men were left in a vulnerable position. Suddenly, the Blackbird was intercepted by two
pairs of Swedish Saab 37 Viggen fighter jets, which protected the spy plane and ensured
that no enemy fighter would try to harass it. The four Swedish pilots proved to be
guardian angels for the crew of the SR-71. At the time, the Soviet Air Force had a squadron
of MiG-25PD Foxbat high-speed interceptors based in East Germany, which were regularly sent to
try and intercept the Baltic Express to no avail. Still, no details of the 1987 encounter between the SR-71 and the Saab 37 Viggens were
published until three decades later. Recognition In the 1990s, several major avionics
upgrades were made to the aircraft, now designated as the JA 37D variant,
including a more updated computer. By then, however, it was slowly being
replaced by the newer Saab JAS 39 Gripen, with the last active model of the Saab
37 Viggen retired in November of 2005. Still, a few models were used for electronic
warfare training against the Gripen, and their last official flights happened in 2007. Ten years later, in a ceremony
in Stockholm on November 28, 2017, United States Air Force
officials presented all Swedish pilots with Air Medals for their
brave actions during the Cold War. Thank you for watching our
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