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Saab AJ 37 Viggen Attack Fighter |
DESCRIPTION:
The System 37 project was launched in 1960 to produce a family of aircraft with short takeoff and landing capability. The Viggen family was designed for multiple kinds of missions, including fighter (JA), attack (AJ), reconnaissance (SF, SH), and training (SK). The first to be built, the AJ 37, was primarily a ground and sea attack aircraft with a secondary fighter role. The Viggen design utilized a large cranked delta wing with large flapped canards plus tandem wheel main landing gear and thrust reversers to achieve short takeoff and landing (STOL) performance from rough terrain and country roads. The AJ 37 attack variant typically carried rocket pods or precision-guided anti-surface missiles like the Swedish RB05 or American Maverick. Related models included the SF 37 all-weather day/night reconnaissance platform and SH 37 all-weather maritime surveillance or strike aircraft. By the late 1990s, the remaining AJ, SF, and SH fleets had been upgraded with new electronics and weapons giving them improved surface attack capabilities. The Viggen fleet was gradually retired and replaced by the Gripen by the end of 2005.
Last modified 17 March 2012
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HISTORY: | |
First Flight |
(AJ 37) 8 February 1967 (SF 37) 21 May 1973 (SH 37) 10 December 1973 (JA 37) 27 September 1974 |
Service Entry
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(AJ 37) 21 June 1971 (SF 37) April 1977 (JA 37) 1979 |
Retirement |
November 2005
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CREW: |
one: pilot
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ESTIMATED COST:
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unknown
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AIRFOIL SECTIONS: | |
Wing Root | unknown |
Wing Tip
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unknown
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DIMENSIONS: | |
Length | 53.48 ft (16.30 m) |
Wingspan | 34.77 ft (10.60 m) |
Height | 18.38 ft (5.60 m) |
Wing Area | 495 ft² (46.0 m²) |
Canard Area
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unknown
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WEIGHTS: | |
Empty | 27,000 lb (12,250 kg) |
Normal Takeoff | 37,480 lb (17,000 kg) |
Max Takeoff | unknown |
Fuel Capacity |
internal: unknown external: unknown |
Max Payload
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13,000 lb (6,000 kg)
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PROPULSION: | |
Powerplant | one Volvo Flygmotor RM8A afterburning turbofan |
Thrust |
25,970 lb (115.5 kN) with afterburner
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PERFORMANCE: | |
Max Level Speed |
at altitude: 1,320 mph (2,125 km/h) at 36,000 ft (10,975 m), Mach 2.0 at sea level: 910 mph (1,460 km/h), Mach 1.2 |
Initial Climb Rate | 40,000 ft (12,200 m) / min |
Service Ceiling | 60,000 ft (18,300 m) |
Range |
typical: 540 nm (1,000 km) ferry: 1,080 nm (2,000 km) |
g-Limits |
unknown
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ARMAMENT: | |
Gun | none |
Stations | seven external hardpoints |
Air-to-Air Missile | AIM-9 Sidewinder (RB24, RB74) |
Air-to-Surface Missile |
(AJ 37) RB04, RB05, RBS15, AGM-65 Maverick (RB75) (SH 37) RB04 (AJS/AJSF/AJSH 37) RBS15, RB74 |
Bomb |
(AJ 37) 120-kg bombs (AJS/AJSF/AJSH 37) BK90 cluster |
Other |
(AJ 37) 135-mm rocket pods, 30-mm ADEN cannon pods, ECM pods
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KNOWN VARIANTS: | |
AJ 37 | Single-seat all-weather attack aircraft with a secondary fighter role; 110 built |
JA 37 | Single-seat interceptor with a secondary surface attack capability; 149 built |
SF 37 | Single-seat all-weather armed photo-reconnaissance model with a modified nose containing cameras, infrared sensors, and ECM equipment in place of a radar; 26 built |
SH 37 | Single-seat all-weather ocean surveillance model with a search radar in the nose and equipped with anti-ship missiles; 26 built |
AJS 37, AJSF 37, AJSH 37 |
Designations applied to AJ 37, SF 37, and SH 37 aircraft upgraded for air-defense, attack, and reconnaissance duties; about 115 converted |
SK 37 | Two-seat trainer without a radar; 18 built |
Saab 37E Eurofighter | Proposal to meet a NATO requirement for an attack fighter replacing the F-104; not built |
Saab 37X |
Proposed export model; not built
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KNOWN COMBAT RECORD:
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none
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KNOWN OPERATORS:
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Sweden, Svenska Flygvapnet (Swedish Air Force)
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3-VIEW SCHEMATIC:
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SOURCES:
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