On Monday, September 29, 2025, the Swedish company Saab Defence and Security revealed that during the stationing of the Royal Swedish Air Force (Svenska flygvapnet) as part of the NATO Enhanced Air Policing mission between April and September at the 22nd Tactical Air Base in Królewo Malborskie, the latest Loke counter-drone system was deployed.
Photos: Saab Defence and Security
It was emphasized that six Saab JAS 39C Gripen multirole aircraft, deployed in two rotations, first by the 21st Norrbotten Air Wing from Luleå-Kallax Air Base, and later, from the end of May, by the 17th Blekinge Air Wing from Ronneby Air Base, supported the protection of allied facilities, including the key POLLOGHUB logistics and medical hub at Rzeszów–Jasionka International Airport, as part of NATO’s Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU) initiative.
“Effective air operations require robust ground protection. The systems we deployed significantly strengthened base security, both for us and our allies” said Lieutenant Colonel Christian Bertilsson, commander of the Swedish contingent in Poland.
The Loke counter-drone system, a C-UAS (Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System), was presented for the first time on March 17 this year. As reported then, it was developed in just 84 days – from concept to live-fire tests. It was subsequently deployed to Poland for operational trials.
The modular and mobile concept covers the entire kill chain,namely detection, tracking, identification, and destruction of the target. This comprehensive system includes radars such as the compact 3D Giraffe 1X for detection and classification, and a compact command-and-control system based on a short-range air-defense (SHORAD) concept. Effectors, such as the remote weapon station Trackfire equipped with 12.7 mm and 7.62 mm machine guns, used on Stridsbåt 90 H (manufacturer designation: Combat Boat 90) patrol boats, complete the solution.
“To counter emerging threats, an optimized sensor-to-shooter chain is crucial. We achieved what many thought impossible in record time, including the necessary education and training to support the mission. The fact that our jointly developed counter-drone systems now are operational in the field is clear proof of how effective collaboration between the Armed Forces and the defence industry can and should be.“, said Angelica Persson, Counter-UAS Business Development Analyst at Saab.
The Swedish Armed Forces and Saab are continuing development, and the 21st Norrbotten Air Wing is currently training in the operation of Loke at the platoon level. Lessons learned from recent exercises, including Baltic Trust 2025 in Latvia, are contributing to the next stage of integration. Full implementation across all frontline units is planned for the end of 2025.
With Loke, the Swedish Armed Forces, FMV, and Saab have demonstrated that threat-driven rapid development can deliver tangible operational results — turning an idea into a fielded system in record time. The project is being carried out under the leadership of the Air Combat Training School (Luftstridsskolan), the Command and Control School (Ledningsstridsskolan), and the Air Staff (Flygstaben), with the support of the Army Combat School (Markstridsskolan).
For the first time, the new counter-drone concept “Loke” has been deployed in a live @NATO mission. #SwedishAirForce #FMV #DefenceInnovation #CUAS https://t.co/FaBmr3uCUX
— Saab (@Saab) September 29, 2025
