#1131 JAS39C Gripen
Purchased products will not feature the Squadron Prints watermark
Description
Squadron Prints Lithograph No. 1131 - SAAB JAS 39C Gripen, 39274, 211 Fighter Squadron, F 21 Norrbotten Wing, Lulea, Swedish Air Force.
211 Squadron was formed at Kallax on 1 May 1949 as a reconnaissance unit. During its formative years, the squadron was equipped with three different aircraft, the S14 (Fieseler Fi-156 Storch), SAAB S18A and the S26 (North American P-51D Mustang). The squadron entered the jet age in 1953 when the de Havilland J28B Vampire was introduced for a brief time. The last Vampires left the squadron in 1955, at which time the SAAB S29C Tunnan (1954-1967) formed the backbone of the squadron. The Tunnan began a long lineage of indigenous fighters produced by Swedish aircraft manufacturer SAAB to be operated by the squadron. It was followed by the S32C Lansen (1959-1961), S35E Draken (1966-1979) and S37 Viggen (1979-2005). In the late 1990s the squadron started its transition from a pure reconnaissance unit to a multi role fighter squadron. Before the end of the Viggen era in 2005 all versions of the type had been operated at some point by the Akktu Stakki Squadron. The air to ground attack version (AJS 37) was introduced in 1995, the air to air fighter version (JA37D) in 2001 and the two seat electronic warfare version in 2003. In 2006, when the JAS 39 Gripen swing role fighter was introduced, the transition was complete. Since mid 2008 the squadron operates the JAS 39C/D versions of the Gripen, with which the squadron participated in Operation Unified Protector over Libya in 2011. This print depicts aircraft number 274, equipped for a swing role mission, carrying two IRIS-T on the wing tips, two AIM-120B AMRAAM and two GBU-49 under the wings, a centreline fuel tank, a Litening III Laser Designator Pod and a Mauser 27 mm internal gun.
The name Akktu Stakki derives from a Lappish dialect and is translated as “Lone Wolf”. The name was introduced during the early days when many pilots were locally recruited and Lappish was a widely spoken language at the squadron. The letter U in the squadron badge, being the 21st letter of the alphabet, symbolises F21 Norrbotten Wing. The lone wolf was chosen as a symbol because of the similarity between the reconnaissance missions flown by the squadron´s pilots and the journey a male wolf makes far away from its pack.