Sweden has announced it will donate two Saab ASC 890 Airborne Surveillance and Control aircraft to bolster Ukraine’s air defense.
The aircraft are part of Sweden’s 16th military aid package, the most substantial to date, valued at SEK 13.3 billion (€1.16 billion).
“Ukraine’s capability to identify and engage targets at long range will be strengthened,” the Swedish Ministry of Defense commented. “The package will also include a holistic solution that involves training, technical equipment and methodological support for air surveillance and command and control.”
The Saab ASC 890 is a variant of the Saab 340 AEW, based on the Saab 340 regional turboprop airliner.
This aircraft is equipped with the Erieye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system, featuring an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar mounted atop the fuselage, has a range exceeding 550 kilometers (342 miles) and can effectively track both airborne and naval targets.
In June 2022, the Swedish Air Force announced plans to replace its two Saab 340 AEW aircraft with two Global 6000 GlobalEye aircraft.
In July 2023, Saab received the first of these Bombardier Global 6000 jets, equipped with an advanced Airborne Early Warning and Control solution for Sweden. The Swedish GlobalEye fleet is expected to be operational by 2027.
The same month, Poland completed the acquisition of two second-hand Saab 340 radar reconnaissance aircraft from the United Arab Emirates and Saab. Poland officially received the first Saab 340 aircraft at an airbase in Gdynia on March 4, 2024.