How Two Swedish Aircraft Will Change Situation On Battlefield In Ukraine

And what does the F-16 have to do with it?

The largest military aid package to Ukraine, announced by Sweden on May 29, included two ASC 890 aircraft from Saab AB with Erieye radars.

Ukrainian military-political observer of the Information Resistance group Oleksandr Kovalenko told the Charter97.org website what kind of planes these are and how they can change the situation on the battlefield:

— ASC 890, also known as Saab 340, is a long-range radar reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft, which in the case of Ukraine is intended primarily to support F-16 aircraft, which is exactly what they are being transferred for.

Currently, we receive intelligence information from our partners using their AWACS (Early Radar Warning System — edit.), which are in the airspace of Poland, Romania, Bulgaria or over the Black Sea. Plus, there is also satellite reconnaissance, due to which all this information is directly transmitted to Ukraine.

But when performing some targeted tasks, for example, target designation for long-range missiles that exceed 100 kilometers, additional operation of the AWACS in conjunction with the F-16 is required. And here a dilemma arises — NATO countries cannot be in Ukrainian airspace in order, for example, to support the F-16, which is carrying out combat missions in the east.

If we are talking about the south of Ukraine, then the F-16, which would carry out certain tasks with appropriate missile weapons in the left bank of the Kherson region and even in the Zaporizhzhia region, could receive support from the airspace over the Black Sea, Romania or the same Moldova.

But when we talk about the east of Ukraine, the range of reconnaissance equipment of the AWACS aircraft operating in Poland, for example, was simply not enough. Therefore, it is necessary that such an aircraft be located somewhere in the airspace of western Ukraine, or somewhere closer to the central part of the country. These couldn't be NATO planes.

The transfer of the Saab 340 aircraft to Ukraine will allow us to carry out such combat missions in the east of the country. And not only in the east — if we receive permission to carry out strikes with appropriate weapons on the territory of the Russian Federation, then this will allow us to carry out strikes on it, which will significantly expand our capabilities.

The plane itself can safely cruise in the region of western or central Ukraine, without entering the risk zone, providing our fighter aircraft with all the necessary information.