Sweden’s air force is shaping a deterrence concept that would let JAS 39 Gripen fighters strike military targets deep inside Russia if Sweden were attacked, according to reporting based on an interview with Col. Carl Bergqvist, head of the Swedish Air Warfare Center. The approach goes beyond territorial defence and centres on keeping Swedish air power survivable through dispersed operations from civilian airports and road strips.
The concept draws on lessons from Ukraine, where early attacks on logistics, command centres and air bases have proved decisive. Bergqvist linked the thinking to a posture that would make any assault costly, rather than to a pre-emptive strike plan. Reports also point to possible integration of Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missiles on Gripen aircraft, alongside Sweden’s broader interest in long-range strike options.
Swedish planning documents dated in late February describe long-range strike as a capability to engage targets at strategic depth of about 2,000 kilometres, although no weapon has been selected for that range. The topic matters commercially for Saab, MBDA Deutschland and the wider European strike-weapons market, as Sweden’s concept places stand-off attack, distributed basing and survivable air operations at the centre of wartime planning.