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JA-37 Viggen fighter jocks achieving radar lock on SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3 spy planes
The interesting video in this post features retired fighter-pilot Thorbjörn Engback explaining how he and other Swedish fighter pilots were able to successfully acquire radar lock on U.S. Air Force (USAF) SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3 spy planes, in their SAAB JA-37 Viggens, by means of the British Aerospace (Bae) Skyflash air-to-air missile.
Be sure to select English subtitles in the settings of the video to enjoy Engback’s story.
At the height of the Cold War, when East-West tensions were at their greatest, Swedish JA-37 Jaktviggen (or fighter Viggen) fighter pilots were scrambled on 400-500 live Quick Reaction Alert (QRA)missions per year to intercept any unidentified aircraft approaching Swedish airspace.
QRA targets came from both Warsaw and NATO nations, and were usually flying close to Swedish airspace over the Baltic Sea or the Gulf of Bothnia.
Besides achieving radar lock on SR-71, JA-37 Viggen fighter jocks could assist Blackbird pilots
As we have already explained in a previous extensive piece (click here to read the article), no doubt the most challenging QRA targets were the U.S. Air Force’s Lockheed SR-71As, that often passed very close to Swedish airspace on their regular ‘Baltic Express’ missions.
The SR-71’s awesome performance capabilities provided a unique opportunity for Swedish fighter controllers and JA-37 fighter pilots to evaluate various intercept solutions against a high-speed, high-altitude threat.
Furthermore Swedish Air Force Viggens could also assist the legendary Blackbird if the latter experienced an inflight emergency, as happened on Jun. 29, 1987 when four Swedish JA-37 pilots protected an SR-71 that had an inflight engine failure. The Swedish pilots received U.S. Air Medals during a ceremony held in Stockholm, Sweden, on Nov. 28, 2018, recognizing their actions that took place almost 32 years ago.
The “Jaktviggen”
The Saab Viggen fighter has been, for years, the backbone of the Swedish Air Force. The first AJ 37 Viggen has been developed to be a multi-role combat aircraft able to perform air defense, anti-ships and ground attack missions.
Later on, in order to increase the effectiveness in the Swedish air defense system, the JA-37 “Jaktviggen” version was developed. It has been equipped with a new set of avionics, radar and weapon system able to enhance its role of all-weather fighter-interceptor aircraft.
In terms of design the Viggen was characterized by the adoption of the delta-canard aerodynamic solution and it was powered by the big and powerful Volvo RM8 afterburning turbofan. Thanks to it the Viggen was able to reach the max speed of Mach 2,1. The Saab Viggen has been progressively replaced by the new and technologically advanced Saab JAS 39 Gripen.
Photo credit: U.S. Air Force
