The Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) has acquired four Learjet 60 aircraft from Bombardier, which are being modified for use in FMV’s verification and validation activities and for use as target aircraft. In December, the last three aircraft arrived at FMV’s Test and Evaluation Department at Malmen Airport in Linköping. The maiden flight has now been carried out with the first target aircraft.
Work on the aircraft has been in full swing since December. This includes completing the documentation, entering the aircraft in the military register, having it inspected by the military aviation inspectorate FLYGI and carrying out maintenance work. “It is an important milestone to get an aircraft in the air. The main purpose of the flights is for the pilots to practice flying the LR60,” said Mattias Radefjäll, project manager at FMV Test and Evaluation Air.
The target aircraft have two main tasks: On the one hand, they tow targets for firing exercises by various units of the armed forces and, on the other, they are part of electronic warfare, in which enemy radars and sensors are to be jammed if necessary.
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The Learjet 60 is somewhat more modern and larger than its predecessor, the Learjet 35, which it will replace. The target aircraft are distinguished by their yellow color, which makes them highly visible in the air, but at the same time distinguishes them from the orange targets used during exercises.
“We carried out a physical inspection of the aircraft and found some minor defects that we had to rectify. Then we carried out the standard maintenance work that was planned during the months that the aircraft was out of service,” says Emil Sääv, Service Manager at FMV Test and Evaluation Air. With regard to the maiden flight, he said almost in disbelief: “It went off without a hitch, which is a little unusual. Usually there is always something to repair when an aircraft has been parked for three or four months.”
Modification still outstanding
In the next step, the aircraft will be converted so that it can be used as a target aircraft. Among other things, the interior space for passengers in the cabin will be removed and converted into a workplace for the operating personnel. In addition, cables will be laid to beams on the wings of the aircraft to which external loads can be attached. Once all the systems have been installed, the aircraft becomes a target aircraft that can be used for interceptor missions or target towing, among other things.
“There is still a lot to do before the aircraft is ready for use in the role we want. But the first flight is a good step on the way there,” says Mattias Radefjäll, aware of the task.
