In the Cold War era, Swedish JA-37 Jas Viggen fighter pilots were scrambled on 400-500 live Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) missions per year to intercept any unidentified aircraft approaching Swedish airspace. QRA targets came from both Warsaw and NATO nations
- On January 1986, while leading a JA-37 three-ship in aircraft tail number “38” carried out successful intercepts on SR-71 Blackbird between 13:14 hours and 13:25 hours, about 50km west of the town of Visby, on the island of Gotland. Major Moller was number two, in tail number “60”, and Captain Ulf Johansson number three in tail number “53”. Here are Details on Incident: When a Saab 37 Viggen pilots were able to achieve RADAR LOCK on SR-71 Blackbird
- On June 29, 1987, Four Swedish Viggen pilots protected A Crippled SR-71 Blackbird that had in-flight engine failure. The Swedish pilots received U.S. Air Medals during a ceremony held in Stockholm, Sweden, on Nov. 28, 2018, recognizing their actions that took place almost 32 years ago. See Details: Link
Titled “MACH III SR71 Vs. Saab JA-37 Short Film,” the cool video in this cockpit shows the author of the movie Dan and Andy, chronicle their journey making an action-packed aviation film (which actually starts at 7:55) about Swedish Air Force Saab JA-37 combat jets challenging the uncatchable American SR-71 Blackbird.
The Saab 37 Viggen is a retired Swedish single-seat, single-engine, short-medium range combat aircraft.
Development work on the type was initiated at Saab in 1952 and, following the selection of a radical delta wing configuration, the resulting aircraft performed its first flight on 8 February 1967 and entered service on 21 June 1971. It was the first canard design produced in quantity.
The Viggen was also the most advanced[vague] fighter jet in Europe until the introduction of the Panavia Tornado into operational service in 1981.
