Gripens Test Air Countermeasures in UK Under Viking Flame

Two Saab JAS 39D Gripen fighters from the Swedish Defence Material Administration test and evaluation flight (FMV T&E Luft), have completed trials of new air platform protection countermeasures during joint testing on a UK range.

The activity, given the name Viking Flame, was performed on the Donna Nook Air Weapons Range in Lincolnshire in mid-November. Viking Flame forms part of a wider Easyrider project led by the Royal Air Force (RAF), the UK Air and Space Warfare Centre (ASWC) and the UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).

According to FMV, the two twin-seat Gripens from the T&E Luft were operated from RAF Coningsby. “[The aircraft] were used to test and evaluate next-generation countermeasures, designed to address emerging threats in modern threat environments,” it added. Details of the countermeasures types tested were not released.

Viking Flame activity was planned and executed by ASWC and Dstl, with support from FMV, the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) and the Swedish Air Force. Six sorties were flown, generating high-quality data for post-analysis: the results are intended to form the basis for future integration of advanced countermeasures on next-generation air combat platforms within NATO. – R. Scott