Sweden transfers ASC 890 airborne early warning and control aircraft to Ukraine

29 May, 2024 Swedish ASC 890. Photo credits: flickr.com Sweden donates an ASC 890 airborne early warning and control aircraft to Ukraine.

The Swedish government said that the AEW&C aircraft is to help Ukraine strengthen its air defense. "Sweden is transferring an ASC 890 airborne early warning and control aircraft to Ukraine, thereby strengthening Ukraine's air defense capabilities," the Swedish officials said. ASC 890 will provide Ukraine with completely new capabilities for airborne early warning and combat target control in the air and at sea.

Ukraine's capabilities to detect and engage targets at long distances will also increase. These technologies on the aircraft mean that the radar's ability to distinguish between objects and ships is better than that of traditional radar.

Swedish ASC 890 aircraft. Photo credits: flickr.com

Presumably, there will be no direct use of these aircraft over the territory of Ukraine due to the threat of destruction, but they will be able to fly in the airspace of the neighboring countries.

Sweden noted that the transfer will affect the country's defense capabilities, and this will be resolved by purchasing a new Global Eye airborne early warning & control AEW&C platform. To further strengthen Ukraine's air defense, the support package also included Rb 99 (AMRAAM) missiles, which can be used both on aircraft and in ground-based air defense systems. The Rb 99 is a licensed version of the American AIM-120B (AMRAAM) missile, which has a range of up to 70 kilometers and was previously produced in Sweden.

Rb 99 air-to-air missile (AIM-120).

Photo: Armed Forces of Sweden

The new package worth SEK 13.3 billion will also include 155-mm artillery ammunition.

As previously reported, the Swedish government ordered a batch of new CV90 infantry fighting vehicles from BAE Systems for Ukraine.