Head of Sweden’s Air Warfare Centre says strikes on targets in Russia possible in case of attack — AeroTime
In the event of an attack by the Russian Federation — an aggressor state — the Swedish Air Force would not limit itself to defending its own territory and would consider strikes on military targets deep inside Russia. The head of the Swedish Air Force’s Air Warfare Centre, Colonel Carl Bergqvist, told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, AeroTime reports.
According to Bergqvist, potential targets could include military infrastructure, bases, command posts and logistics facilities. This approach is intended to make aggression against Sweden more costly for the adversary.
Dispersal of fighter jets
The Swedish Armed Forces are combining the development of long-range strike capabilities with the dispersal of JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets among military bases, civilian airports and road strips. The aim of this approach is to preserve the ability of aviation to operate after the first strike.
During the Aurora 26 exercise, fighters of the Blekinge Wing F 17 operated for five days from short strips at the Cold War-era dispersed base in Hagshult. Each strip is 800 metres long; they can be used if the main runway is put out of action.
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In their budget submission for 2027, the Swedish military stated that by 2030 it would develop dispersed basing between military and civilian airfields and road bases. It also plans to develop mobile units to service aircraft outside main bases.
Taurus missiles and a range of up to 2,000 kilometres
Sweden is also developing the capability to conduct strikes using Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missiles. Saab states that the missile has a range of more than 500 kilometres and is designed to strike fortified and deeply buried targets. In August 2026, the Swedish Air Force reported the first launch of a Taurus from a Gripen at the Vidsel test range.
In its 2024 annual report, the Swedish Armed Forces stated that the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration had been tasked with procuring KEPD 350 missiles from Germany and initially integrating them onto the JAS 39C. Integration onto the JAS 39E is planned for a later stage.
In their budget submission for 2027, the Swedish military defined long-range strikes as the capability to engage targets at a strategic depth of up to approximately 2,000 kilometres. At the same time, a specific weapons system for that range has not yet been selected, and the document does not directly link this capability to missiles launched from Gripens.
