The Fighter Jet That Could Go in Reverse 

I've got a fun little story involving a Viggen. It's the late 80's, me a 15 year old boy. In 8th and 9th grade school, you had a week or two that you spent at some workplace, we called it Praktik. Usually you got a spot at one of your parents work place and tagged along for the week, doing very simple and boring work most of the time :) My dad was an officer in the air force, and he managed to get me a praktikplats at one of the small air bases that don't have any aircraft during peace time. Usually there were like three officers and six conscripts at these bases, taking care of everyday maintenance. And of course I got to do some of the more boring tasks, since the conscripts saw the opportunity to not have to do them for a week. But that didn't matter to me, I got to use some of the machinery that other work places definitively wouldn't allow a 15 year old boy operate. Front loader, motorcycle, Jeep, truck, they allowed me to try out all kinds of things. Not exactly according to the rules, but it was a pretty relaxed place as long as there were no external visitors. One day they told me to trim the grass around the runway lights. All along the runway. There's quite a few of them, so I got the trimmer and some extra gas with me on the moped (flakmoppe, a three wheeled moped with a flatbed). It took me quite a few hours before I finally was done, and by that time I was at the very far end of the runway. Remember that this is a small air base with no air planes and no air traffic control. Planes coming in to the base were announced quite far ahead in time so the personnel would be ready to receive them, so in general the base personnel had free access to the runway. Like in this instance, me cutting grass on the sides of it. So I'm done, packing up the gear on the moped and heading back to the workshop. Of course, as a 15 year old boy with free access to an airfield, I drove down the middle of the runway. 30km/h was the mighty top speed of the flakmoppe. About halfway down the strip, I get this tingling sensation in the back of my neck... I turn around and see a Viggen coming straight at me, about 10- 15 meters off the ground. I had no time to react, the aircraft passed over my head, and an instant later the full power of the engine roar hit me. At the end of the runway the pilot pointed the nose up to the sky and did a sharp turn at the same time. Afterburner activated (thankfully not active when passing over me). Looking at it from my position, in the middle of the runway, it just looked awesome. Back at the base I told one of the officers what had happened, I was afraid I had done something wrong interrupting a planned landing or something like it, but he laughed and explained to me that pilots from the regular air bases sometimes practiced final approach to the runway without landing so it was pretty normal and not something to worry about. I definitely got a great memory to carry with me, seeing a Viggen coming at me at that height is not something I've had the opportunity to experience again :) A few years later when doing my military service, I was of course a Flygmekaniker (aircraft tech). Not on Viggen, but instead on my favourite aircraft Draken :) There were a few awesome experiences during that time as well, but none come even close to that Viggen encounter :)

You could see Viggens and Drakens passing by in the sky all the time when I was a kid. The cold war was no joke around here.

As a half Swedish with my Swedish grandmother very often we went to Sweden at my grandmother's house in the sixties and the seventies and was very common to see the Draken and the Viggen flying over the town. Was absolutely cool to see the Viggen shaking the town 👍👍👍👍👍

That plane shook up quite a few countries when it was Introduced! Was a sick bird for its time, very capable!

As a kid a friend and I was out playing in a nearby field. There was an air combat exercise going on at what we perceived as high altitude and we watched with awe at the turns and maneuvers of the circling planes. Suddenly we spotted movement just above the treeline as a Draken fighter silently came straight at us. The sound hadn't reached us yet but it soon did! With a mighty roar the dragon passed over our heads at about 15 meters and it almost made us crouch to the ground. It was a magnificent view and the raw power of the beast dropped our jaws in amazement. The pilot must have seen us at the last moment as he tipped his wings back and forth, as if waving to us before he climbed up to rejoin the fight. It is a memory that has stuck with me over the years and it still puts a smile on my face. ☺

My grandfather was one of the electrical engineers at CVA ( later FFV Aerotech) in Arboga. He helped design and develop the batteries and electric power units for the Draken and Viggen fighter Jets. Watching this video brings back memories of pipesmoke, graph paper and the mad scientist (at least to me as a kid) workshop he had in the basement. I miss him. Weird how this randomly recommended video triggered all that. Ty for making this and peace.

The story of the 4 ‘guardian angels’ for the Blackbird was quite inspiring. One can imagine the overwhelming feelings of relief and camaraderie wash over the SR71 pilots. Bodes well for Sweden finally joining NATO.

I did my military service as an aircraft and weapons mechanic in 1978. It was only 7 years after the AJS 37 Viggen was deployed to Sweden's Air Fleet. Most of us conscripts had no previous experience with aircraft. For 1 year we were trained to service, clear and arm fighter aircraft. The work included receiving the aircraft and the pilots. The plane was connected to a monitoring function and refueled. Various gases were added and they were armed. We hung on to robots, rockets, cannons, bombs and extra tanks. Then we checked that the cockpit was ready for the next flight. It was also included in the service that we inspected rocket seats at regular intervals and would be helpful on major service occasions, when the engines were inspected and serviced. It could also happen that we had to come along to exercises in other places. But also possibly participate during sharp exercises and surveillance of airspace. One of our officers told us that a military delegation from the United States had come to visit a military airfield in Sweden.They had been both amazed and impressed that with so little training we could be given such great responsibility over the fighter planes. In the US they had long-term staff who performed the same tasks.

Fun facts: The fuel capacity of the Viggen was ~7 cubic meters including the 1000 liter external tank. It took 7 minutes to fuel it up, and 7 minutes to empty the tanks at full afterburner. /Former Viggen mechanic

- [ ] The bikers ( 1:30) were part of the Airbase 90 system, a development of the earlier Airbase 60. The development of small ground attack aircraft and cluster bombs in the 60s demanded even faster relocations and more flexibility then Bas 60 could provide. In Bas 90 a small group of conscripts equipped with radios and on Husqvarna 258 off road motorcycles acted as traffic controllers and guides for the aircrafts. When a Viggen returned after a mission the TLBi group were dispatched. Very swiftly they drove their bikes to the road that was designated for landing at the particular time. They closed the road for traffic, checked the area for obstacles or anything dangerous and then acted as traffic controllers talking the plane down. When the Viggen was on the ground, it was guided to the service spot by another TLBi acting as a follow me car (or bike) where a group of conscript mechanics waited to refuel, rearm and preform simple maintenance on the aircraft. When the plane was ready for its next mission, another TLBi showed up and guided to the road that had been selected for take off. It was a little intimidating to ride a few meters in front of a fully armed Viggen as they sometimes were during exercises. There were rumors that the automatic gun had malfunctioned at times. Or maybe it was just what the pilots said to scare us… 😆 TLBi872.

Not axvigg, åskvigg, åska from the Norse asikkia meaning thunder. Åskvigg translates into thunderbolt. Thor didn't throw axes around, he wielded a hammer and according to the mythology thunderbolts was the result of him using it in battle with giants. Viggen either means the bolt (of lightning) or the tufted duck, another terrifying enemy...

Absolutely wonderful video on this. The HUD in the Viggen was so simple but packed with an incredible amount of information too. It was the first single seat fighter jet to have an integrated flight computer as well. This aircraft was very capable from its ability to conduct shipping strikes, drop both high and low drag bombs (16 of them), Rockets, Mavericks (RB-75) as well as variants of the Sidewinder Heat seeker missiles and the AJ-37 could use a Radar version A2A missile. Just incredible what they made for such a small country.

The Viggens who came to the rescue of the SR71 in distress were two AJ37 ground attack Viggens out on a training exercise when they were told to stop what they were doing and intercept an unidentified aircraft closing in on Swedish airspace. Usually this would be done by the QRA unit of JA37 interceptors but the two AJ37 happened to be in the right area. Most likely the swedish air controllers already knew it was an SR71. They basically knew everything that went on over the Baltic and the SR71:s pattern was well-known. The AJ37 would not be ideal to intercept an SR71 in normal circumstances. However, it is possible that the air controller knew something must be wrong since the SR71 slowed down drastically and dropped in altitude. Sweden had lost aircrafts, including a sea rescue aircraft shot down by Soviet fighters over international waters in the Baltic during the 1950:ies, and while it had yet to be confirmed, a swedish signal intelligence aircraft had disappeared over the baltics the day before. It was later confirmed that it too was deliberately shot down and that the attack on the sea rescue plane was because it happened to be searching in the very same spot were the former attack had taken place. So the idea of the Soviets trying to shot down or force down an SR71 was not far-fetched. That can be why the AJ37 were sent in being the closest asset. They were later relieved by a pair of JA37 interceptors since the AJ37:s were short on fuel and it was clear the SR71 had big problems and might not even make it to NATO airspace.

When I was little during the late 90s/early 2000s I lived close to an airbase. Would sit out in the yard and would occationally hear jets fly by. Most were Gripens at that point. However I have a vivid memory of when something "different" flew past. Made every bone in my body shake to its core and I looked up to see what beast could produce that sound. I was only 5 then but the silhuette of a Viggen is still burned in my mind to this day. Probably kicked off my life-long interest in aircraft

As a kid in the early eighties my mom and I were driving in the countryside when all the traffic were stopped by the military. Out of the woods 2 Viggen emerged and took to the sky on the road. Both mighty and scary for a little boy 😀

Some called the Viggen pilots “the pine cone pickers” since they were experts in low level flying. Often resulting in branches stuck to the fuselage after low level missions.

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with building models of as many planes as I could get my hands on. Then I found a model of the Viggen, and instantly fell in love with what I thought then was one of the most beautiful aircraft I had ever seen.

I've always loved how Saab manages to make their fighters look just that little bit more interesting. As a kid, I always wanted to get models of the Draken and Viggen because of this.

Its always interesting to see all the cool designs other countries come up with for their aircraft

I always have this cool feeling when I drive my Saab Turbo Viggen on the road, cool legacy, and burns almost the same amount of fuel as fighter 😂

A potent and highly capable fighter that was way ahead of its time. Stored in caves as a reserve.

I had always been a big fan of Viggen. It was first after I learn to fly it in DCS I understod how advanced it actually was for the time. Fantastic engenering with the sole purpose to stop the Sovjet invasion fleet in their tracks.

I worked with the C-17 in the desert and it has the same STOL (Short Take Off & Landing) capabilities with reverse thrust, which is wild for a cargo jet. The 37 was an incredible little fighter jet for it's time.

As a young kid in the eighties, I really felt we had air superiority over most of Scandinavia. Loved the looks and performance of that plane.

I have to say that this is my favourite cold war jets alongside the Draken. They are quite unique aircraft

A part of me is still in grief with the Viggen gone. It was my childhood dream and my powerful protector from above. The skies are and will forever now be empty from the silhouette and sound of the Viggen. I will forever be thankful for living in an era where I could witness such awesomeness..

When Your Swedish Brothers come in clutch to have your back!!! Much love and gratitude from Texas!

The Swedes have impressed met with their incredible fighters…the Viggen was one of them. The latest the Gripen is said to be the best fighter around. I saw American high ranking military checking the plane out. And they were shown around by Swedish conscripts that did the maintenance on them..explaining all in English. It impressed me…I guess the Americans were impressed too.

Sweden has a long history of punching far above their weight when it comes to making fighter aircraft. Tunnen, Lansen, Draken, Viggen, Gripen; all were/are aircraft that were strong competitors (sometimes clear superiors) to aircraft being produced by nations with far larger budgets and industrial bases.

When my dad was with the Navy and Vought in the 1960's and into the end of the company the engineer's and test pilot's often exchanged information with other companies . The Viggen was often used in opponent simulations. Way ahead of it's time.

You mention the Dracen I was on FAC work in Germany with the RAF and had one doing low level attacks 250 ft at 420 kts. After he finished his run he pulled straight up and lit the Afterburner from 250 ft it was sooo loud one of the cows prolapsed and we had to pay damages to the the farmer. I also saw the last 104 too great times.

To my knowledge the JA37 fighter version of the Viggen was the first fighter in the world with a modern data link in 1985. There was not anything like it anywhere in the world until 10 years later. The fighter link in the Viggen enabled, for example, one airplane in a flight of four to paint the sky with its radar and guide the weapons of the other three airplanes so that they could fly silent, without emitting any signals that would give them away. The silent Viggens would get the same radar picture on their screens as the lone Viggen using its radar. It was the next generation of sensor sharing and I dont think there was anything like it until the F-22 came into service much later. This meant that an enemy pilot would get indication from their systems that a radar was illuminating them from one direction, and then suddenly BVR-missiles would attack them from other directions without warning. I don't think its fair to sum up the Viggen without mentioning this game changing capability.

This is one of the most interesting and neat looking planes ever made.

They still fly low and fast. I was living in Gothenburg in 2017 when Gripen’s did a VERY low pass straight over downtown at an incredible speeds. I remember thinking how the Air Force would never do that in the United States because of all the complaints, but in Sweden no one would complain.

"Are we there yet? Are we there yet??" Viggen- I WILL TURN THIS JET AROUND!

One funny aspect of Viggen is that it started out as a VTOL project very similar to the F-35 of today. The thrust reverser is basically a simplified version of the attempt to redirect the engine thrust downward.

It's my dream to go to Sweden and see the Viggen in one of the underground roadside hangers they had. What a fantastic concept, sensible Swedes!

The Viggen was a beast. The last interceptor version upgrade JA-37D was as capable as early Gripens. They lacked its range, but were a formidable weapon for its generation. Swedes make excellent fighter jets.

The SR71 incident was common knowledge in Sweden ever since it happened. The most memorable Viggen mission was in 1981 when the air force scrambled to medd a soviet raiding force believed to be attempting an armed rescue of a grounded USSR Submarine off the Swedish Naval Base at Karlskrona. Weapons Free had also been given by the political leadership if the Soviets crossed the border.

This was one of my favourite aircraft as a kid in the 70s - nothing else really looked like it. I remember making an Airfix kit of it and having a poster, which had both a Viggen and Draken next to each other in flight, on my wall.

R.I.P all the Swedish pilots who gave their lives for Sweden

Not just "predictable patterns" were used to lock on to blackbirds, but they developed a head on attack vector, and managed to get around the electronic counter-measures. In a real situation it would have forced the SR-71 to take evasive action, which it wasn't designed to do, and pilots weren't trained to. The SR-71 relied entirely on being able to outrun everything. But yes, not even the fastest Russian planes managed to do this.

This was pretty good. You missed a few very important facts. The AJ model was geared towards anti ship missions and used what at the time was the foremost AS missile, the Rb 15 (preceded by the not too shabby Rb 04) . The existence of the Viggen and these missiles secured the Baltic Sea during that era. The Viggen’s navigation system was developed based on the US TerNav system first developed for the canceled SLAM missile. The same system was also adapted for the Harpoon missiles. The Viggen is the only aircraft using it for navigation The JA model was a compete rework of the AJ model and even has a different engine (modified). What’s more it was the first jet with an integrated datalink capability that still surpasses Link 16 still in use in NATO. And also the Viggen was the first aircraft to be equipped with a HUD from inception. There were a few aircraft lying with HUDs before the Viggen but they were retrofitted and the aircrafts were not designed with HUDs in mind.

Amazing aircraft, and I always liked it ever since I could fly it virtually in Fighter Bomber / Strike Aces back in the early 90s on the Amiga. So glad it came to DCS in the AJS variant, but I'd love to have a JA as well, maybe even the D. Too bad you left out the story of the incident with the Su-15 Flagons over the Baltic Sea in 1985 where one of the Soviet interceptors basically was manoeuver killed by the Viggens.

Excellent video about the Viggen, one of my favorite designs from the Cold War era.

Saw a pair of these at an air show this summer, the sound of that engine is superb.

The sound of the Viggen engine is earshatteringly awesome. The roar alone should send potential enemies running. Sounds like some mythical dragon.

My moms grandpa worked on developing the Viggens engine. Definitely one of my favorite aircraft of all time

This fall when our king celebrated 50 years on the throne with a parade with hundred of thousands of people, he was celebrated with several flyovers of the classic Christmas three formation, but the planes wasn’t only Saab 39 Gripen, it was one of each from his 50 years on the throne. Including Viggen and Draken. Impressive to see!

I never knew Viggen pilots got at least 450 hours of diplomacy training. And while in flight, no less!

Very fun to watch this movie. In 1977 I worked as a conscript on the F13 as a camera mechanic. Have countless times loaded and looted movies from Fl 02 from F13 Bråvalla. So watching these movies gives me a sense of belonging even though it was a troubled time even then. Thanks

the double-dorito wing plane

In school we visited F14. I got to sit in a Viggen in a hangar, it was so cool..

Swedish fighter jets look very nice, especially the Viggen, Draken and the Gripen.

Great video, I'm impressed with the research. Not many get it right, it's quite an obscure aircraft to anyone not Swedish :D

Didn't it have some sort of short-range encrypted comm system based on an early form of Bluetooth tech? It allowed wingmen to communicate completely securely with each other without being intercepted or jammed by enemy tech of the time. I also remember reading about some sort of target sharing system; one fighter could lock and another fire 🤔

Always loved this plane.

Saab make some very special aircraft, big fan of the Viggen in particular, what a beast.

Good video. But you missed a rather important bit on the Blackbird story.. Two Foxtrots was already trying to intercept the Blackbird when they were met with a squadron of Viggen. Meanwhile, another squadron of Viggen from another airbase was ordered up to protect the Blackbird while the former squadron had the Foxtrots in check.

Most underappreciated airframe ever

3 fun fact about "Viggen": 1. Yes, Viggen means tufted duck, but it was named after the lightning that Thor's hammer created when it hits the earth in anger, called ÅskViggen in Swedish and thunderbolt in english . 2. If you are driving around the country side of Sweden you can literally see these small runways created for "Viggen" and later on for JAS 39 "Gripen" absolutely everywhere. We have probably thousands of them, so a invading force would not be able to destroy our airforces landing sites. There is a fun clip on how they land a "Gripen" on a road, refueling and reloading, and after a few minutes it's airborne again, full combat ready! 😊👍 3. The only plane in the world that actually flew and intercepted a Black Bird in flight that was intruding on swedish airspace and escorted it out of there. Amazing plane.

Awesome, thanks for doing a SAAB video! Keep up the good work.

Loved the story about the Swedish pilots escorting the wounded Blackbird. I heard a Blackbird pilot speak in the 1980s and he mention that when one engine flamed out there was an automatic restart immediately. In spite of the speed of this correction the fantastic velocity of the aircraft caused a serious jolt which pilots called a "train wreck." Some helmets were damaged and some crew members were injured like that but it was a phenomenal flying machine. Thank you Sweden for being a true ally.

I literally just searched for good short documentaries about the Saab viggen so thanks!

One of my all time favourite jets to fly in DCS world. Absolutely awesome to fly and very forgiving.

Loving the DCS thumbnail, I own the module and it-s undeniably fun and unique too, which pretty much describes all swedish aviation.

I can see this plane being in a old top-gun movie. Because of its ability to reverse. I skilled pilot could gain a good advantage in dogfighting if no missiles were involved. like just machine gun vs machine gun. The advantage being going in reverse mid dogfight and confusing the opponent because in the opponents eyes you disappeared only to catch ‘em off guard.

Awesome awesome videos. Love the narrative. Very pleasant and I formative. As an aviation enthusiast this is much appreciated.

"Viggen" makes it sound less like a Duck and more like a "Meatless" aircraft.

Newark air museum in Nottinghamshire England. Has both the Viggen and the Draken on display along with the Harrier that was forced to land on a container ship during the falklands war. They also have a pair of mig 21s (one in polish markings) and a Vulcan they sometimes give cockpit tours of.

You can see one of these beauties near Turku airport, you go past it if you take harbor-city center-airport bus. It's amazing to see it up close.

0:35 look at that wing flex!! Saab are built like Tanks - whether a plane, a car, or even a tank!

Now that's a hell of a story, what those Swedish pilot's are nothing more than remarkable people and how they trained was even better. They saved are American pilot's from a possible bad situation.

Sweden has had the distinction of being neutral, but finding itself in the middle of the action without even asking for it. A hand salute to those military pilots.

"In europe" it was the worlds most advanced fighter jet.....

I like your work very much. You have specific style and do the research very well. Thank you for all the content!

I sat in the cockpit once, there is so much room you can almost fit two seats side by side 😂. One of the best looking jets ever made. Especially in the splinter camo

According to a very unverified story, once upon time, Viggens were having exercises and pilot started looking for an airfield that was set up on a stretch of highway. After a while he spotted what seemed the temporary landing stretch he was looking for. He landed and everything went fine except it was the WRONG HIGHWAY! But no matter. Since the Viggen was able to reverse, he would be able to do a three point turn at an intersection, power back to air and proceed to land to the correct temporary base without anybody noticing. He would have never been caught but a single car appeared just as the pilot was about take off. The plane cleared the car and only damage was bruised pilot's ego. 😆 No idea if the story is true. 😆

On a side note the SR-71 was designed by a first generation Swede Kelly Johnson, his parents were from Mälmo in Skåne, the southern tip of Sweden close to Copenhagen, Denmark.

I had no idea there was EVER a plant-based fighter, let alone a cold war era model. Ability to blast gas to achieve reverse thrust is a very novel idea for sure!

Love that the thumbnail is a screenshot of dcs world

Very glad the Swedes decided to officially join the team. Collective Security for the win! 🇲🇵🇸🇪

Viggens used to fly over my grandparents' summer place all the time when I was a kid. Now I live really close to a Gripen training area and they often fly over my apartment. Life is good.

I don't think Saab ever made a ugly plane. The Draken, the Griphon, all beautiful.

Just taking my sunday drive in the woods in my fighter jet lol

Robert Clotworthy is such a great narrator with an instantly recognizable voice. Dark Skies is very informative and weirdly addictive, as Robert brings a certain urgency and importance to his voice work.

For anyone wondering, yes, the thumbnail is from DCS

Swedish pilots in training, often looked UP to the treetops in the archepilago of Sweden, there are some official videos on the Tube look these up, some in Swedish, a good reason to learn this language?😊

Thx for your factfilled film. This is the plane I, as grown up in Sweden, seen most time in the sky and in air shows. As I said, a nice film . Thx

Saab: Born From Jets Interestingly, Saab actually had a higher-performance version of their 9-3 called the Viggen, which was named after this particular jet.

I grew up in Sweden (born 1970) and we saw quite a few Viggens fly by when I was a kid. They where very loud, tore the sky apart. The Draken and other Swedish jets where nothing in comparison. In my early teens I got the chance to see them practicing shooting ground targets. They came in very low, rolled onto their back, aimed, rolled back and shot. Then they went straight up in the sky and disappeared. The control tower asked one of the pilots (a Biggles type, that does no longer exist in any airforce I guess), to make a low pass. He did it, and came in so low so the trees moved. That was a roar.

SAAB are still going strong, with their unique approach to fighter development. Sweden is a small country with a small population, so they must achieve far more with far less.

Viggen is a formidable veteran and kept by enthusiasts, this beast can still be experienced live in air shows around the world.

I once watched what I believe was a dog fight exercise with two 37s close to Arkösund in the Swedish archipelago. Quite impressive maneuvers with very tight turns. And very noisy!

I have actually witnessed a Viggen go backwards it was the Farnborough Air show (England) absolutely atrocious weather on and off torrential rain and huge gusts of wind as part of its display the Viggen came in over the runway at maybe 150 - 200 feet and presumably throttled back facing into the wind and to everyones surprise went slowly backwards under complete control

A very impressive aircraft which was definitely ahead of the curve. One of the mistakes made regarding the flight of aircraft is that of running the same flight paths. This is what contributed to the loss of an American F117. Fantastic aircraft in the hands of extremely capable pilots. 👍🏻 🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪 🇸🇪

During it's early develpment, Viggen was planned to be able to be armed with nuclear bombs, for possible use against invasion beaches, river crossings and Warzaw pact embarkation ports. As a child during the 80:ies I lived closed to a Swedish airbase. These birds were very noisy indeed. I especially remember how sometimes my elementary school teacher would need to pause talking during classes, because she couldn't be heard over the intense noise. When I got older and took my bike to town, I got to cycle on a very wide bicycle lane, along a very straight piece of road with underground fuel tanks next to it.

Saab jets are one of the most underrated fighter jets out there. Not all country can afford a fifth gen or stealth jet fighters but a more reliable and robust ones are as good as they come.

Good video on one of my favourite aircraft - it was still the primary fighter when I did my national service in the Air Force back in 2001. One note, though - it’s “åskvigg” (pronounced “oskvigg”), rather than “axvigg”; it’s not cognate with the English word axe.

Love me a good Saab Story!... Always LOVED the aggressive look of the Draken, one of my favourite looking flying beasts of all time. The Viggen is equally gorgeous, with VERY impressive functional capabilities. Eventually evolving into the Gripen which was successfully sold to other friendly countries for their defense systems.