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Showing posts with the label #gripen

Fire over the Baltic — Combat Aviation Survival Saab JAS39 Gripen E

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In the contested airspace over the Baltic Sea, where NATO and Russian-aligned forces operate in constant proximity, even routine missions can become life-threatening encounters. The incident known as “Fire over the Baltic” is a vivid example of how advanced aircraft systems, pilot skill, and enemy persistence interact in high-stakes environments. The mission began as a low-risk reconnaissance flight for the Swedish Air Force but quickly evolved into a critical test of survivability when a hostile missile crippled one of the aircraft’s engines while live weapons remained onboard. 1. Ingress Over the Baltic A. Pilot’s Perspective — Captain Elias “Falcon 3” Varga, Swedish Air Force The mission brief was straightforward: a SPA reconnaissance run over the southern Baltic, 200 feet above the waves, using the Digital Reconnaissance Pod to gather coastline imagery. My Gripen E had its MIL-STD-1553 / ARINC-based mission computers loaded with waypoints and updated threat grids via th...

Fire over the Baltic — Combat Aviation Survival Saab JAS39 Gripen E

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In the contested airspace over the Baltic Sea, where NATO and Russian-aligned forces operate in constant proximity, even routine missions can become life-threatening encounters. The incident known as “Fire over the Baltic” is a vivid example of how advanced aircraft systems, pilot skill, and enemy persistence interact in high-stakes environments. The mission began as a low-risk reconnaissance flight for the Swedish Air Force but quickly evolved into a critical test of survivability when a hostile missile crippled one of the aircraft’s engines while live weapons remained onboard. 1. Ingress Over the Baltic A. Pilot’s Perspective — Captain Elias “Falcon 3” Varga, Swedish Air Force The mission brief was straightforward: a SPA reconnaissance run over the southern Baltic, 200 feet above the waves, using the Digital Reconnaissance Pod to gather coastline imagery. My Gripen E had its MIL-STD-1553 / ARINC-based mission computers loaded with waypoints and updated threat grids via th...

Ghost in the Circuit — A Three-Sided Story of a BVR Duel (Saab JAS 39E Gripen)

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Modern air combat is as much a battle of systems as it is a contest of pilots. Networked sensors, electronic warfare suites, and beyond-visual-range (BVR) missiles dominate the engagement envelope long before opposing fighters ever see each other. Yet, as advanced as these systems are, they remain vulnerable to technical failures at the most critical moments. Ghost in the Circuit tells the story of such an encounter, weaving together the perspectives of a Swedish Gripen pilot, the aircraft itself, and a Russian Su-30SM pilot. Through this multi-layered lens, the engagement becomes not just a duel between adversaries, but a test of machine resilience, pilot adaptability, and tactical improvisation under the pressure of seconds. 1. Characters: A. Pilot’s POV — Captain Erik “Falcon 1” Lindström (JAS 39E Gripen, Swedish Air Force) B. Aircraft’s POV — the Gripen’s own “perspective” as an advanced but fallible war machine, narrating its internal status and systems behavior. C. En...

SAM Crossfire – Coordinated Air and Surface Warfare in the Modern Battlespace Saab JAS 39E Gripens

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The story of SAM Crossfire represents a textbook example of modern joint-force warfare, where aircraft and ground-based air defense systems work in seamless coordination to neutralize a high-value, heavily defended target. In this mission, four JAS 39E Gripens from the Nordic Rapid Reaction Wing (NRRW) were tasked with destroying an Eastern Coalition S-300PMU-2 long-range surface-to-air missile battery. Unlike traditional air strikes, this engagement relied not only on the skill of the pilots and their aircraft’s advanced avionics, but also on precise data sharing with a coalition Patriot PAC-3 battery positioned dozens of kilometers behind the strike package. The mission was further complicated by the presence of hostile fighter cover, requiring quick decision-making, efficient use of targeting networks, and flawless execution under time-sensitive conditions. 1. The Shield and the Spear The Nordic Rapid Reaction Wing (NRRW) had been ordered to crack one of the Eastern Coal...