Sweden and UK test next-generation aircraft self-protection systems during joint exercise
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Swedish and British defense authorities carried out the Viking Flame test campaign from November 10 to 14, 2025, at the Donna Nook Air Weapons Range in Lincolnshire. The results support NATO efforts to strengthen future NATO fighter jet protection against evolving multi-domain threats.
Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration, together with UK defense officials, confirmed that the two nations wrapped up a weeklong evaluation of next-generation fighter jet self-protection systems during the Viking Flame campaign in mid-November. Military authorities involved in the effort described the trials as a significant data-gathering push, blending radar, electronic warfare, and threat-simulation testing to help prepare allied air forces for higher-intensity environments.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Swedish Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet from FMV Test and Evaluation flies over RAF Coningsby during Viking Flame trials, supporting NATO efforts to test next-generation aircraft survivability systems. (Picture source: Sweden FMV)
The Viking Flame campaign is part of Project Easyrider, an ongoing initiative led by the Royal Air Force’s Air and Space Warfare Centre (ASWC) in collaboration with the UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL). The program targets rapid development and validation of integrated air platform protection capabilities to address the growing sophistication of radar-guided and infrared missile threats in contested environments.
Project Easyrider is a classified, multifaceted effort initiated by the United Kingdom to accelerate the testing and fielding of advanced aircraft survivability technologies through close coordination among operational users, scientific researchers, and international partners. Designed to address the limitations of traditional procurement cycles, the project serves as a fast-track platform for evaluating novel defensive systems, including expendables, jamming pods, sensor-fusion software, and electronic countermeasure techniques, under operationally realistic conditions. Unlike traditional defense development programs, Easyrider prioritizes flexibility, leveraging modular testbeds and coalition collaboration to shorten the timeline between prototype and operational integration.
Its test architecture includes both ground-based threat emulators and airborne assets, with trials tailored to simulate near-peer threat conditions involving advanced surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems and integrated air defense networks. Through initiatives like Viking Flame, Easyrider has become a proving ground not just for technology, but for NATO’s ability to coordinate survivability advancements across multiple airframes and national doctrines.
Central to the Viking Flame trial were two Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet from FMV Test and Evaluation (FMV T&E Luft), operating out of RAF Coningsby. These fighters were used to test and evaluate a range of advanced countermeasure systems, including new expendables and digital electronic warfare suites, in live threat simulations. The Gripen platform’s modular design enabled the rapid integration of new systems and provided the flexibility needed for complex defensive testing.
Throughout the five-day campaign, six instrumented flights were successfully conducted despite difficult weather conditions. Each sortie was tailored to simulate operationally relevant engagements, including electronic attack maneuvers and countermeasure deployments. The high-fidelity data collected will serve as a foundational reference for future integration of these systems into NATO fighter fleets, including legacy platforms and next-generation designs.
Planning and execution were led jointly by ASWC and DSTL, with strong support from FMV, the Swedish Defence Research Institute (FOI), and the Swedish Air Force. The collaboration demonstrated the technical interoperability between Swedish and British forces and reinforced shared commitments to accelerating survivability advancements within the NATO framework.
The Viking Flame campaign reflects an increasingly urgent push by allied forces to future-proof air capabilities amid the resurgence of peer-level threats and the expansion of anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) environments. By validating the performance of emerging countermeasures on the Gripen, a proven, export-ready, NATO-compatible fighter, Sweden and the UK have established a crucial baseline for joint air defense modernization.
Exercises like Viking Flame underscore the value of multinational testing and collaboration. The trial’s results will help shape survivability upgrades across NATO, advancing air superiority through shared, adaptive defense solutions.Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition GroupAlain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.
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Swedish and British defense authorities carried out the Viking Flame test campaign from November 10 to 14, 2025, at the Donna Nook Air Weapons Range in Lincolnshire. The results support NATO efforts to strengthen future NATO fighter jet protection against evolving multi-domain threats.
Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration, together with UK defense officials, confirmed that the two nations wrapped up a weeklong evaluation of next-generation fighter jet self-protection systems during the Viking Flame campaign in mid-November. Military authorities involved in the effort described the trials as a significant data-gathering push, blending radar, electronic warfare, and threat-simulation testing to help prepare allied air forces for higher-intensity environments.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Swedish Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet from FMV Test and Evaluation flies over RAF Coningsby during Viking Flame trials, supporting NATO efforts to test next-generation aircraft survivability systems. (Picture source: Sweden FMV)
The Viking Flame campaign is part of Project Easyrider, an ongoing initiative led by the Royal Air Force’s Air and Space Warfare Centre (ASWC) in collaboration with the UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL). The program targets rapid development and validation of integrated air platform protection capabilities to address the growing sophistication of radar-guided and infrared missile threats in contested environments.
Project Easyrider is a classified, multifaceted effort initiated by the United Kingdom to accelerate the testing and fielding of advanced aircraft survivability technologies through close coordination among operational users, scientific researchers, and international partners. Designed to address the limitations of traditional procurement cycles, the project serves as a fast-track platform for evaluating novel defensive systems, including expendables, jamming pods, sensor-fusion software, and electronic countermeasure techniques, under operationally realistic conditions. Unlike traditional defense development programs, Easyrider prioritizes flexibility, leveraging modular testbeds and coalition collaboration to shorten the timeline between prototype and operational integration.
Its test architecture includes both ground-based threat emulators and airborne assets, with trials tailored to simulate near-peer threat conditions involving advanced surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems and integrated air defense networks. Through initiatives like Viking Flame, Easyrider has become a proving ground not just for technology, but for NATO’s ability to coordinate survivability advancements across multiple airframes and national doctrines.
Central to the Viking Flame trial were two Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet from FMV Test and Evaluation (FMV T&E Luft), operating out of RAF Coningsby. These fighters were used to test and evaluate a range of advanced countermeasure systems, including new expendables and digital electronic warfare suites, in live threat simulations. The Gripen platform’s modular design enabled the rapid integration of new systems and provided the flexibility needed for complex defensive testing.
Throughout the five-day campaign, six instrumented flights were successfully conducted despite difficult weather conditions. Each sortie was tailored to simulate operationally relevant engagements, including electronic attack maneuvers and countermeasure deployments. The high-fidelity data collected will serve as a foundational reference for future integration of these systems into NATO fighter fleets, including legacy platforms and next-generation designs.
Planning and execution were led jointly by ASWC and DSTL, with strong support from FMV, the Swedish Defence Research Institute (FOI), and the Swedish Air Force. The collaboration demonstrated the technical interoperability between Swedish and British forces and reinforced shared commitments to accelerating survivability advancements within the NATO framework.
The Viking Flame campaign reflects an increasingly urgent push by allied forces to future-proof air capabilities amid the resurgence of peer-level threats and the expansion of anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) environments. By validating the performance of emerging countermeasures on the Gripen, a proven, export-ready, NATO-compatible fighter, Sweden and the UK have established a crucial baseline for joint air defense modernization.
Exercises like Viking Flame underscore the value of multinational testing and collaboration. The trial’s results will help shape survivability upgrades across NATO, advancing air superiority through shared, adaptive defense solutions.
Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.
