Swedish air chief talks next-gen warplane, Gripen’s anti-drone role

Maj. Gen. Jonas Wikman has served as commander of the Swedish Air Drive since December 2022, overseeing a serious modernization program for brand new fight capabilities whereas shaping the nation’s new NATO membership. He leads greater than 2,700 army personnel and a rising fleet of Gripen fighter jets, with a purpose to function 120 in whole within the long-term, mixing older C/D fashions with new E variants. The Scandinavian nation additionally plans to extend its protection spending by $2.9 billion in 2026, representing an 18% enhance over 2025.

In an interview forward of the brand new yr, the air chief shared the standing of Sweden’s future fighter program, the brand new electronic-warfare capabilities fitted on the Gripen E, the largest menace to Swedish safety, his priorities, and his tackle Canada’s curiosity in shopping for the Swedish-made plane.

This interview was edited for size and readability.

The place does Sweden at present stand concerning its future fighter program, in mild of Saab being awarded a contract to proceed an idea examine to work on this expertise? A yr in the past you mentioned a loyal wingman or a mix of unmanned belongings was being thought-about. What are your ideas now?

In the case of the general course of the place we go together with the next-generation fighter platform, we’re nonetheless in the identical course of. We’re nonetheless investing within the data and suppleness to decide on which possibility fits us greatest. What I can let you know is that we are going to be able to reply on the political degree concerning our viewpoint on what that appears like within the upcoming yr. From there, I feel we could have a great nationwide standpoint on the best way to maneuver ahead with this system.

In the case of the unmanned query, one factor has elevated – that’s, our curiosity in fusing new data into present capabilities and operations. We initially supposed to discover and supply choices to politicians, look forward to a call, after which transfer on to the subsequent platform or system a part of the collaborative fighter. We now have realized that if new expertise is developed throughout this course of, we most likely can not wait that lengthy to introduce different unmanned platforms.

To provide you an instance, we’ve the identical thought in terms of the event of the Gripen D model – every time we develop a brand new functionality or software program for the E model, we ensure as quick as doable to additionally introduce it on the older variants as properly.

At this level, may you rank the next choices primarily based in your choice or feasibility: creating a nationwide fighter; becoming a member of a three way partnership with different nations or corporations; procuring an current design and producing it below license in Sweden?

That’s the query I’ve by no means been capable of reply. Partly as a result of our reply can be extra advanced than these three choices. It would additionally not be graded like that. The consequence will possible be some type of cooperation, some type of nationwide challenge that may mix completely different components of every. We’ve additionally been tasked to make sure that all of these options can be found.

I may, as an individual, reply you with my ideas on it, however that may not be the proper solution to transfer ahead with the method.

We’re nonetheless exploring all three on a precept degree. One factor I’ve been apprehensive about is that this system can be too platform-centric, however we [Sweden] have a historical past and tradition of not doing so. There’s additionally concerns and an significance to be given to floor operations, command-and-control missions, and the way properly that can match into the brand new platform.

Concerning the upgrades made to the electronic-warfare suite on the brand new Gripen E plane, what kind of capabilities are you most enthusiastic about?

We’re very a lot trying ahead to the EW spectrum expertise on it, as I count on it will likely be the central energy of that plane. For us, some of these capabilities, each in terms of safety and hiding, but in addition offensive ones, have been a really excessive precedence.

The mix of the EW suite with a number of varieties of sensors working collectively, sharing and receiving each inside and exterior data throughout the community, and offering that to different platforms – very very like the F-35. I feel we’re in the identical realm of operations. With the brand new capabilities, we will go deeper into battle and might have an effect on the opponent in a extra offensive method whereas additionally sending that information to a International Eye and different shooters and sensors.

That’s the reason we’re wanting to get such a functionality, as a result of it means we can function a lot nearer to the menace. I feel most individuals are underestimating the facility we are going to get with the E model in that combat. I’m in search of a sum of skills, not a technique, for instance, the precise functionality of not being detected and that may be reached in some ways — small radar cross-section, stealth options, EW suite. The E model has nice capabilities in not being detected, spoofing, or affecting different sensors.

What’s the greatest menace to Swedish safety at present?

For us, we’ve our eyes, and I feel we’re on all ranges fairly clear that the menace to our safety is Russia, for positive. We now have a scientific type of battle between the collective West and Russia.

What’s the greatest problem the Air Drive will sort out subsequent yr, and what are your priorities for 2026?

I don’t suppose we’re struggling, however the tempo to satisfy for our nationwide functionality improvement is certainly greater, and one thing we’ve to adapt to. Transferring in direction of assembly the purpose of reaching 3.5% of our GDP for core protection spending by 2030 means we’ve to, on the identical time, preserve a excessive degree of operations nationally, but in addition as an ally. Our precedence to be a internet contributor to NATO could be very excessive. That’s the reason the Swedish Air Drive and Navy carried out two operations this yr in Poland and also will once more deploy to Latvia subsequent yr.

We now have to stability our air power sources and readjust our coaching so we will do operations and coaching whereas additionally concurrently creating our personal capabilities.

After we went to Poland, we had functionality targets, and the fighter unit introduced further personnel and tools and did some improvement work each when it comes to air and floor operations. I feel that’s the appropriate solution to go transferring into the long run as a result of we’re just one power.

Additionally thrilling for 2026 is that we are going to be celebrating the service’s one centesimal anniversary.

You spoke concerning the NATO air policing missions the Gripen took half in earlier this yr in Poland, which was successful for its first abroad deployment. Throughout among the missions, the plane was capable of establish and interact very low and gradual targets. Is that this a mode of operation you’re more and more practising?

Sure, however that could be a little bit of a posh query. One of many causes is that we initially designed radars, the earlier technology ones, in order that they wouldn’t detect these sorts of small transferring targets. Happening to the operations in Poland, the second we did included the safety of an important logistics hub, which meant that these sorts of targets have been current.

Right here I’m pondering of Shahed drones that have been a part of the mission set.

So we needed to confirm that we may efficiently detect and interact some of these targets. We did a speedy verification program earlier than deploying. It’s not a simple mission, both from a tactical or technical standpoint.

They fly gradual, which is the issue for us as we aren’t designed to combat small, transferring targets to start with. Which means we have to prepare for it and ensure we’ve the technical functionality to find and strike them. That’s what we did. Now we’ve verified that the Gripen and our forces can do it, and it’s a part of our capabilities [against Shahed drones].

What are your ideas about Canada contemplating the prospect of buying the Gripen as its next-fighter jet as an alternative of the F-35? Would you see an area for deeper cooperation?

I don’t actually wish to have any ideas about that. I had an excellent dialog with the Canadian air chief and made positive we’ve all the data alternate essential and the identical understanding of the platform [Gripen]. It’s their resolution to make, and I respect all of the elements which can be concerned in it, whether or not that’s political, technical, or technological. It’s not on my desk in any respect.

If we aren’t speaking concerning the procurement of fighter jets, I feel definitely the long run room for us [Canada and Sweden] to cooperate will enhance. We’re each engaged within the organising of a brand new logistics headquarters in Enköping, Sweden [to support NATO’s Northwest Area of Operations], and that can be a standard footprint that may very well be utilized to have a dialogue across the overlapping menace.

It’s a protracted distance between Sweden and Canada, however we’ve an curiosity in the identical geography and share plenty of cultural and mindset similarities.

On each side, we agree that it might be worthwhile to have nearer cooperation between our air forces. Sweden’s introduction into NATO and that command may even imply we are going to meet one another on a extra common foundation.