Ukraine will receive weapons of strategic importance – two Saab 340AEW&C (S 100D Argus) long-range radar detection and control aircraft with an ASC 890 radar system.
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On May 29, the Swedish Ministry of Defense officially announced this. As part of the 16th “relief package” worth $1.25 billion. we will get:
- two AWACS aircraft;
- “the entire fleet” of local Pbv 302 (Pansarbandvagn 302) tracked armored personnel carriers, including spare parts, maintenance equipment and ammunition;
- medium-range aviation missiles Rb 99, actually American AIM-120 AMRAAM, and are used in NASAMS air defense systems and on fighters (for example, F-16);
- 155 mm artillery ammunition;
- tanks or armored vehicles based on them (without details either by quantity or by type);
- satellite communications equipment and payment for their subscription fees, spare parts, as well as financial support from European funds for the purchase of weapons.
This is the largest aid package that Stockholm has given us. The total announced amount of assistance from Sweden since 2022 has amounted to $4.1 billion.
The most interesting thing in the new package is two Saab 340AEW&C aircraft with an ASC 890 (S 100D) radar system. Their transfer will take place from the aircraft available in the Swedish Air Force, of which there are just two units, said Taras Chmut, head of the competent army assistance fund.
The roots of the development stretch back to the early 1980s, when the Advanced Defense Technologies Agency (FVM) initiated a program to develop an aviation complex for early detection of air and surface targets.
In the 1990s, six aircraft were delivered to the Swedish PS and became part of the 72nd Special Aircraft Squadron of the 7th Aviation Flotilla (Sotenes Air Base). Initially they carried the Ericsson (Saab) FSR-890 (PS-390) Erieye radar system and were called S 100B Argus.
In the 2000s, the two aircraft underwent a two-stage modernization – first before being leased to Greece, and then after returning back to Sweden in 2010. It included the integration of Link-11 and Link-16 data exchange equipment, secure radio communications and an updated state recognition system.
In 2005, an electronic reconnaissance system from Thomson-CSF (now Thales) was additionally installed on four Argus aircraft, and in 2009 the radar was upgraded to the ASC 890 standard.
As a result, the radar complex changed its name to ASR 890, and the aircraft itself to S 100D (formerly S 100B).
The remaining four aircraft were sold to the United Arab Emirates (in 2009) and Thailand (in 2008 and 2010). Moreover, already in December 2020, two Emirates aircraft were returned to Saab and, after life extension and modernization, were sold to Poland last year for a relatively small $58 million.
The two AWACS aircraft in Swedish service are to replace the new S 106 aircraft, based on the Bombardier Global 6000 with the Erieye ER radar system. The contract for them was signed in June 2022 with a completion date in 2027 and an option for two more aircraft.
Since Sweden is transferring two of its AWACS aircraft to us, they plan to speed up the already signed contract, as well as purchase one additional aircraft (probably from the mentioned option).
For the Ukrainian Air Force, receiving long-range radar detection and control aircraft is an excellent enhancement of the capabilities of future F-16 fighters both for air defense and for striking ground or surface targets.
According to Chmut, in general, the presence of such equipment takes our air defense to a higher level. It is expected that we will be able to significantly more effectively detect attack and reconnaissance UAVs, low-altitude cruise missiles, using terrain and gaps in the radar field from ground-based radars.
How Swedish flying radars work
In appearance, the ACS-890 is very different from Russian and American radars. First, they use a small Saab 340 turboprop – the Russian A50 is based on the Il-76 heavy transport aircraft, and the American E-3 Sentry is based on the Boeing 727.
A BBC review of the Swedish aid notes that this potentially limits the amount of equipment that can be fitted to an aircraft, limiting its ability to receive and process information – it is simply difficult to fit another antenna on it, for example.
But this does not greatly reduce the time it can stay in the air – the ACS-890 can loiter for 5 hours more than a Russian aircraft, but less than an American one.
Another difference is that instead of a rotating antenna, which is enclosed in a fairing similar to a flying saucer, the Swedish aircraft’s Erieye radar is located inside a rectangular housing, rigidly mounted above the fuselage.
This feature somewhat narrows the radar’s view, but allows the use of a larger antenna, which has a positive effect on the range and quality of the information received.
According to the manufacturer, Erieye is capable of detecting air targets at a distance of up to 450 km. This is a rather arbitrary indicator, since the detection range depends on the characteristics of the object – a large bomber will be visible at a greater distance, a fighter at a shorter distance, and aircraft built using stealth technology will be even closer.
However, the detection range of a conventional fighter at medium altitude by the E-3 Sentry radar is believed to be about 400 kilometers.
The detection range of objects on the surface of the sea is 350 kilometers, and it is capable of detecting a target the size of a jet ski.
Another advantage of the Swedish aircraft is the potential to integrate it into the Link 16 information exchange system used by many Western air and ground systems.
The F-16s that Ukraine is likely to receive before the end of 2024 can also connect to such a system and receive information from the radar, which will significantly improve their combat capabilities.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.