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 APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200090023-1

The following 72 civil aircraft of at least 20,000 pounds gross weight are registered in Sweden:

Three Swedish-registered DC-8-30 aircraft are leased to Thai International.

Most Swedish transport pilots receive their initial flight training during their military service. The most complete training facility is SAS's flight-simulator equipped base at Stockholm where the airline conducts aircraft conversion training, transport-rating courses, and routine training to maintain flight crew proficiency. In addition, 12 specialized flight schools offer training for helicopter licenses and flight engineer and airline transport ratings. Regular primary flight training courses are also offered.

The nation's most complete maintenance facilities are those of SAS at Stockholm. Airframe and engine overhauls for all versions of the DC-8 aircraft used by SAS are accomplished here. SAS maintenance centers in Norway and Denmark handle DC-9 and Caravelle repair work. Twenty other civil aircraft maintenance organizations carry out various types of aircraft, powerplant, and aircraft component overhaul. The largest of these are FFV Forende Fabriksverken, AB Svenska Flygverkstaderna, and Ostermans Aero AB.

The Swedish Board of Civil Aviation administers Sweden's civil aviation affairs. Sweden is a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization — ICAO and is a party to the major multilateral conventions and agreements governing international air transportation. The government has entered into air transport agreements or arrangements with some 90 other countries. SAS is a member of the International Air Transport Association — IATA and has operating agreements with Swissair and KLM covering maintenance and training arrangements for its Boeing 747B's and newly ordered Douglas DC-10's.

I. Airfields (C)

The air facilities system of Sweden (including the island of Gotland) consists of 162 usable airfields, 27 sites, and nine seaplane stations. Of the usable airfields, 29 are primarily military but open to civil traffic. One airfield is used jointly. All of the major civil airfields and most of the permanent Royal Swedish Air Force bases are located in the south, primarily in the Stockholm area and the central lowlands to the west and southwest. The remaining airfields are widely dispersed, and only a few permanent military bases are located in the sparsely populated northern regions.

Sweden's airfields and navigational and landing aids comprise an efficient and well-integrated system entirely adequate to support domestic and international air traffic. Arlanda, the principal international airfield, is capable of handling the heaviest aircraft in use. Arlanda and Bromma have extensive logistic-support capability, all types of cargo-handling equipment, and extensive parking facilities. Bromma, originally developed as the main international traffic terminal, is used primarily for domestic flights and as an alternate airfield for Arlanda. Excellent maintenance facilities are available, and the airfield is capable of supporting two squadrons of B-57 aircraft. The runways at the remaining international airfields of Torslanda, Visby, and Sundsvall/Harnosand are constructed to withstand sustained operations of C-121 aircraft, and Bulltofta can support C-124 aircraft. The airfields of Kungsangen, Skelleftea, Umea, Karlstad, Ornskoldsvik, Kiruna, Jonkoping, and Sanviken are capable of handling aircraft up to and including the C-130. Hoftsted and Gunnarn are good operational airfields. Halmstad has an excellent weight-bearing capacity. A new international airfield, under construction at Sturup, about 12 miles east-southeast of Malmo, is to be the second largest airfield in Sweden and is to replace Bulltofta as Malmo's international airfield.

Eighty-six airfields have hard-surfaced runways, most in good condition. About 75% have the weight-bearing capacity to accommodate light-cargo and troop-carrier aircraft; nearly all have taxiways and most have aprons. About 25% to 30% have airline operations. Many of the 76 natural-surface airfields are used by aeroclubs; others are maintained as emergency landing grounds or auxiliary fields for the air force. The 27 sites are unusable in their present condition. Only one of the nine seaplane stations is active.

Sweden intends to equip and maintain airports of entry to meet future demands of international traffic. A modernization program begun in 1950 to meet the increasing demands of high-speed aircraft is continuing. At this time budgetary limitations make prospects for major expansion remote. The military airfield system seems adequate to handle needs into the 1980's.

Figure 7 lists characteristics of the most important airfields.

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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200090023-1