Saab 340 AEW

In 1990, the Swedish air force purchased a Saab 340B to be used as VIP transport. Designation was TP 100A.

A few years later, it was decided to use the same basic airframe to carry airborne air defence radars.

During 2003 the VIP airframe is being modified into an Open Skies aircraft, with the same type of camera as used on the German Open Skies C.160 Transall. Designation will be OS 100. It may get an IR sensor in 2006.

In 1994 the first Saab 340 AEW & C was delivered and radar integration work was begun.

The radar, an Ericsson Erieye, is designated PS-890 and uses an active array with 200 solid state modules. Range of the S-band, 3 GHz, side looking radar is 300 km, 400+km (more than planned) against "a range of air and surface targets", and it utilizes adaptive side lobe suppression. The look angle on each side is about 160 degrees.

While turning and the antenna looks down/up, the time is used for calibration.

One great advantage of having an electronically scanned antenna is that sectors of interest can scanned very frequently, while others are still monitored, and the same sector can be scanned in different modes at the same time.

In 1995 it was decided that the Saab 340 AEW & C would be designated S 100B, to show it's different role from the transport TP 100 (TP = Transport, S = Spaning = Reconnaissance) and given the official name Argus.

It is not used to carry controllers (although it's large enough to do so, should it be required) but can instead be considered an airborne radar integrated with the total air defence network.

The Swedish air force six of these very capable aircraft, four are fitted with radar, two fitted for, but not with, radars to be used as tranports until a need for more airborne radars materialises.

In 2004 the air force bought more Saab 340B to be used for transport duties.

Span:                   21.44 m
Lenght:                 19.73 m
Height:                  6.97 m
Max take off weight: 13155 kg
Patrol speed:          160 knot
Patrol altitude:    6-7000 m
Max altitude:         7600 m
Cruise speed:          528 km/h (285 kts)
Engines: General Electric CT7-9B, 1870 shp
Endurance:               7 h

As an airliner, with a crew of three and 35 passengers, range is 1490 km

Servic in Greece

Late in 1998 the Greek air force ordered four Erieye/Embraer RJ-145 systems from Ericsson Microwave Systems AB/Thomson-CSF. While waiting for deliveries the Greek air force gets to lease two Erieye/S 100B systems from the Swedish air force, starting in 2000. They are expected to be returned in early 2004, when Greece has taken delivery of three Erieye/RJ-145 systems.

The aircraft will be modified compared to Swedish service. They will have two or three operator consoles onboard, NATO IFF, communications and datalinks to Greek standard (a ground based system to process the information is included) added. They will not have the Swedish-specific ECCM nor the cockpit display showing uplinked processed information from the ground stations.

They will be owned by the Swedish air force, but operated by Greece and carry Greek national markings.

Upon return to Sweden

The Swedish air force is considering keeping the operator stations onboard, as the Argus then could perform other tasks than "just" feeding information to the total air defence system (ground stations with controllers and JAS 39 Gripens, either airborne or on standby on the ground). For example, this could be useful when operating away from Sweden on international missions.