Sweden's gift of Saab 340 aircraft to Ukraine changes air warfare

As part of the largest military aid package to Ukraine to date, Sweden has decided to transfer two Saab 340 AEW&C early warning aircraft. Valery Romanenko, an aviation expert and researcher at the Ukrainian State Aviation Museum, quoted by Ukrinform, pointed out that Ukraine (excluding Belarus) was the only European country that did not have early warning aircraft.

Romanenko believes that their transfer to Ukraine will be a revolutionary event and will improve the combat against aerial targets, including Russian cruise missiles, helicopters, and fighters. "We will be able to shoot down over 95 percent of ballistic targets; [the Russians] will be helpless," noted Romanenko. The Saab 340 AEW&C will cooperate, among others, with F-16 fighters, which Ukraine is likely to receive in the summer. They will also help direct the fire of missile, air defense, and other weapons.

Ukrinform highlights the differences and similarities between the Russian Beriev A-50 early warning aircraft and the Swedish Saab 340 AEW&C, which the Ukrainians will use. As it turns out, the Russian machines, which are a key element in coordinating attacks using fighters and drones or in observation missions, face significant competition. According to the service, both aircraft are "almost identical." However, the major difference is that "the A-50s are much older and are no longer produced by Russia (though there have been single attempts to modernize them - the same A-50U), while Sweden regularly upgrades the Saab's radar."

Another advantage of the Swedish aircraft is its potential integration with the Link 16 information exchange system, used in many Western air and ground systems. Ukraine is likely to receive the F-16s soon, which will also be able to connect to such a system and receive information from the radar, significantly improving their combat capabilities.

As previously reported, Ukrainians will receive two S 100D Argus aircraft in the FSR-890 version (Saab 340B AEW-300). These planes are based on the passenger Saab 340. They are nearly 69 feet long, with a wingspan of approximately 72 feet and a height of almost 23 feet. The machines can fly at speeds reaching 186 mph and stay airborne for about 5 hours. The radar on board improves detecting and identifying targets from long distances, even when flying very low.