Sweden has announced its most substantial military support package for Ukraine to date, valued at SEK 13.3 billion ($1.3 billion USD), aimed at bolstering Ukraine’s air defence capabilities and addressing other critical needs, according to a press release.
The highlight of the package is the donation of Airborne Surveillance and Control (ASC 890) aircraft, also known as the Saab 340 AEW&C.
These advanced platforms will provide Ukraine with the capability to identify and engage aerial and maritime threats at extended ranges.
The package includes comprehensive support, such as training for Ukrainian personnel, technical equipment, and logistical aid for establishing air surveillance and command & control systems.
Sweden acknowledges a potential temporary reduction in its own air defence capacity due to this donation. To mitigate this, Sweden plans to procure additional GlobalEye airborne early warning aircraft and expedite the delivery of an existing order of two GlobalEyes. To further enhance Ukraine’s air defence network, the package includes Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs) adapted for ground-based and aircraft deployment. Sweden will also acquire new missiles to replace those donated.
The package also addresses a critical Ukrainian need for artillery ammunition. A significant quantity of 155mm artillery shells will be provided to counter Russian forces and alleviate ammunition shortages faced by Ukrainian field units. Similarly, Sweden acknowledges a temporary decrease in its own ammunition stocks and plans to replenish them through procurement.
In support of forming new Ukrainian brigades, Sweden will donate its entire inventory of PBV 302 armoured personnel carriers. This includes spare parts, maintenance equipment, and ammunition. While this donation will temporarily reduce Sweden’s own armoured vehicle capabilities, they intend to address the gap through further acquisitions.
Some much needed capability for the UKR AF, especially as they should also be receiving some much needed F16s later this year.
Together with the recent announcements as to what can be targeted with HIMARs etc, will certainly pose some major headaches for Putin and his followers as recent events have shown.
The stupidity of allowing Putin to gain momentum rather than piling in when he was on the back foot is unbelievable.
It only takes a tiny understanding of matters military to make clear you finish you opponent and don’t allow them to regroup by hammering them so hard they don’t know what gas hit them.
The Russian now unfortunately understand how some of the older NATO systems work and can mitigate (a bit) whereas initially they would have been defenceless.
I know the F16’s will make a difference but if they had been provided with tanks when it was manoeuvre warefare with HIMARS + Storm Shadow it would have overwhelmed the Russians.
Instead this stupid drip drip…..but there was an issue that the UKR side was using munitions to fast Russian style rather than in pinpoint NATO style…..there was always an unrealistic expectation of supply pipeline.
Spot on.
Indeed, this is especially true when that enemy has amost 4 times the population to throw at the problem as well 10 times the GDP and wealth.
Not supporting Ukraine to go to for the throat, will cost. Hopefully it will not cost the war…
There are some green shoots..Gazprom announced annual losses of 6.9billion dollars in 2023..and that has been a Russian cash cow….essentially Russia has used it’s central bank, money reserves and oil very cleverly..which has allowed it to survive the massive hit that western sanctions have been..but it will falter its just a matter of when..
As Vladimir Milov ( a famous Russian eccomist )stated to RUSI:
“The signs that sanctions are working are there, but it really takes more time. Putin’s economy is a big beast. It takes time to strangle.”
Russias wealth fund has dropped from 113billion dollars to 56billion dollars..which sort of indicates it’s about half way to collapse…some say it’s high watermark for a wartime economy and production will be 2025 and after that it begins to falter…so we will probably see a collapse in the latter half of the 20s.
The question is will the Russian economic collapse happen before Ukraine runs out of young men and money or it’s sometimes pretty flaky allies run out of will to keep its war effort going.
Another factor in on the economic side are the Ukrainian strikes on oil infrastructure; Russia has apparently had to double their subsidies to oil producers to keep prices to the population down. That means they’ve less money to spend on the war, but also that the rate of depletion of that wealth fund is going to be increasing, rather than steady and just due to sanctions.
Absolutely. A failure of leadership across NATO nations. How many UKR & Russian lives could’ve been saved if we’d sent a clear message that Russia couldn’t win this from the start.
Should you have lived among Russians you might not be so keen on saving them… just saying.
The introduction of the F16s into the conflict will be interesting to see what they can do. It has been clear HIMARs have had a massive impact but the western tanks have not. Both were massively hyped up ahead of their introduction.
Russian air defences have been clearly ropey against drones and glide bombs, but will they be any better against jets, a target they were specifically designed to counter.
It depends on which generation of DAS the Ukrainians get for the F16’s it won’t be the full fat latest generation version. But it probably doesn’t need to be.
Game changers indeed👍 let’s hope that the Ukrainians can keep them safe because talk about missile magnets!
Sweden stepping up already now in NATO.
And most welcome, brothers and Sisters.
Indeed – organised educated people who are natural allies.
Sweden has a lot of skin in the game and it is no surprise that it is supporting Ukraine.
Remember Sweden has been countering all aspects of Russian aggression short of war for years.
Great news for the Ukrainians, gives them EX well needed capability. Just going have try and keep them out of harm’s way which won’t be easy has these will be a priority on Russians target list .
Perhaps slightly off topic, but this aircraft does look like it could be useful for carrier based AEW.
Like you thinking PC. A “Hawkeye lite”. Maybe we can rustle up a trial or two off the carriers? And the Grippen’s too! 😆
Way to big for the QE and i doubt it has the built-in strength to deal with CAT and TRAP.
I guess these ones will burn similar to hundreds of warplanes already downed.
Unless it’d fly in the territories of “neutral” Nato countries.
No’.
Now that is the Million $ question 🤒
Great job Sweden.
This is a very important development for Ukraine. From other sources I’ve read Sweden will be giving at least two of their Saab 340 based Erieyes to Ukraine.
However, I do see a small issue and that is with training, For these aircraft to make a dramatic difference to Ukraine’s war effort. The aircraft/crew really need months of training with their current Su27 and Mig-29s. But perhaps more importantly is with the donated F16s.
The European F16’s radar isn’t all that much. But these F16s can carry the later AMRAAM AIM-120C-7. Which means the missile has a better range over anything Ukraine is currently using. Plus it’s active homing which will be new to them. But perhaps more importantly is that the missile can be controlled by a third party over a data-link.
This is where the Erieye comes in. As it can see significantly further than the F16’s radar. Then use the F16 as a missile truck, allowing the F16 to remain passive. But for this to work, there needs to be lots of training to hone the skill.
Russia won’t be sitting on the fence. They know full well what a capable AEW brings to the table, it will be their Air Forces primary target. So you can bet Su-35s and Mig-31s, armed with the “AWACS” killer R37 missile, will be hunting for it.
Is this an unfair fight? I would hope not as our air defence system is based around the AEW/fighter combination! Although R37 may have the range to reach the Erieye. The Erieye should detect the launch of the R37, then opt to evade, deploy countermeasures etc. Even though the R37 is purported to travel at Mach 6. It will still take time to cover the 300+km distance. In theory even the slowish 340 should be able to get outside the R37’s radar search basket. Ukrainian pilots have said the R37 can’t turn very well. But then how tight a turn will the 340 be capable of? Pretty certain the pilots will try to rip the wings off trying to evade a missile coming at them!
The Erieye that Ukraine will be getting is the first iteration of the radar. But it is still significantly better than that carried by Russia’s A50 Mainstay. It has an exceptional ground mapping mode. Though I’m not sure if it can handle large data recordings, as well as Sentinel used to. As this would be great for tracking Russia’s vehicle movements for building up a pattern of life. Thereby exposing targets for GMLRS, Storm Shadow etc. But I would fully expect Ukraine to keep these well away from the front line, especially to begin with. More likely guarding Kyiv and the surrounding area.
Of all the aircraft donated to Ukraine. The Erieye might be the most significant especially when teamed with the F16s and AMRAAM. It’s almost like someone had a cunning plan!
UKR AEWs flying over NATO airspace from Finland to Bulgaria coupled to F16s ready to strike and Russia has some serious issues to face, fire a missile into NATO territory – We just know the Poles will let the UKRs fly over their territory and some countries are just looking for a strike so they can assist UKR, doubt the Latvians will deny the UKRs as well, so, this is really upping the ante.
It will also alleviate some of the pressure on both Brit and NATO assets flying similar missions where there is a downside is the ability of UKR to analyse the information – will this be datalink to NATO intelligence assets?
The other thing for Ukraine to develop is asymmetric threats against Russian oil infrastructure in disaffected parts of Russia – begin stoking the dissent that is rumbling in Russia against Putin, he will only be toppled internally.