During the week, the Swedish Air Force is doing an air refueling campaign with the French and Polish Air Force. The objective of the Swedish Air Force is to give basic training to pilots in air refueling and renewed training to pilots who previously completed the training.
Foto: Försvarsmakten
The campaign is carried out in LSS / TUJAS 39: auspices (Air Combat School / Tactical - and technological development). Air refueling will be done by a French KC-135 which is normally based at Istres in southern France, but for this campaign based in Poland. From there, the tanker has a day to fly to the practice area of the Baltic Sea and up to 5 hours per day of air refueling for the Swedish JAS 39 Polish F-16. the tanker flies under the minions who is an international cooperation program in which nations will contribute with different abilities, including air refueling and transport. Sweden participates in the FEEDER with C-130 as transport aircraft.
Basic Training of the Swedish pilots is implemented at F17 which provided most of the flight of the JAS 39 during this campaign. Gripen aircrafts from F21 and FMV in Linköping participate from their home units. Air refueling enables this without a stopover in southern Sweden beeing needed.
Foto: Pernilla Bökman / Försvarsmakten
As part of the Gripen User's Group're observers from the Czech Republic, Hungary and South Africa visits F17 during the week to comply with air refueling operations on site and to share experiences.
The Swedish education consists of theory and practical experience. The practical experience comprises four flight sessions, where the first of them is in a two-seat JAS 39D with an air refueling instructor. During the subsequent sessionsair refueling is conducted with in a straight track and in turns with various loading options. During a session up to 20 connections can be carried out by one aircraft.
(Source in Swedish)
(Google translation)
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