Meet the A-36 Bomber: Believe it or not, Sweden nearly became a nuclear power in the 1950s.
When the Cold War was getting warmer by the minute, Sweden, forever neutral Sweden, was building a nuclear bomber in case World War III began.
Saab 35 fighter, also from Sweden. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Before signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1972, Sweden did proceed with a nuclear weapons research program.
Now, 211 years after their last war, the Swedes have joined NATO because they knew that Russia, under Putin, would not respect their neutrality any longer.
Most people do not know this snippet of history, but it shows how close the world was to exploding. Even the Swedes recognized the madness inside the Soviet Union, where its leaders believed they could conduct and “win” a limited nuclear holocaust.
True to its form, Sweden was officially neutral during the Cold War, but it shared intelligence with the Americans, which wasn’t known much then. Shortly after World War II ended, the Swedish government began working on a nuclear weapon, producing plutonium, not for an offensive, strike-first weapon.
No, their choice was for a serious, agile, defensive strategy.
The plan was not to have a strategic nuclear weapon but a tactical one if the Soviets invaded them. They could have the weapon soon enough but needed a delivery vehicle.
Meet the Saab A-36
When one thinks of Sweden or Saab, a nuclear bomber may be the furthest from your mind.
Maybe the Viking Museum in Stockholm, perhaps. But a nuclear bomber they did design, and because of their proximity to the Soviet Union and the Baltic States under their control, the bomber wouldn’t need to be a long-range aircraft.
In the late 1940s, the country began work on getting Sweden nuclear weapons, which studies showed would be technically and economically feasible.
In 1952, Saab started designing an aircraft with a long-range, large weapon load, and high speed as ‘Projekt 1300’. As the 13 in the beginning is the overall name as the later numbers (76) are used to show which airframe will be used.
The Saab 36, also Project 1300 and later the military designation A-36 Vargen (Wolf), was a supersonic bomber designed to carry a 600 to 800 kg free-falling nuclear weapon.
A Swedish nuclear bomber would have to be capable of operating from dispersed airfields in accordance with Swedish doctrine. It would, therefore, look quite different from its American or Soviet counterparts.
The A-36 was a single-seat, straight delta wing with a 62-degree sweepback, chin intake, and internal weapon bay. The internal weapons bay was designed to prevent accidental detonation due to the high temperatures air friction would cause when flying at supersonic speeds.
This would reduce drag and improve performance, but it would limit the payload while decreasing the internal volume available for fuel, avionics, and other systems. The primary weapon would be a 600-800 kg free-fall nuclear weapon.
The limited fuel load limited the A-36’s range to just 410 kilometers, but as close as they were to Soviet territory, that was enough.
It had excellent speed, Mach 2.1 or 1,611 mph, powered by a British Bristol Olympus turbojet, the same engine as the British Avro Vulcan bomber and the civilian Concorde SST. The ceiling was 59,000 feet.
Cancelation of the Projekt 1300
Work on the A-36 was progressing well. However, by 1957, Sweden realized it could not afford to develop the A36, nuclear weapons, and other vital defense programs.
The A-36 program was canceled because it would not have a conventional capability.
Later, during the 1960s, the nuclear weapons program was also shut down.
The Soviets found out about their development of a nuclear bomber, and Sweden was warned by the Soviets that there was no such thing as a “neutral” nuclear deterrent.
The very nature of Swedes gradually decided that they would not support the production or usage of nuclear weapons.
While the idea of having a nuclear weapon resonated with the Swedes in the early 1950s, that attitude quickly changed.
Now, in joining NATO, their survival is tied in with the West. And its nuclear weapons. But it won’t build or use any.
Sweden’s Air Force: A Photo Essay
JAS 39. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
JAS 39 Gripen. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
JAS 39 Gripen. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
JAS 39 Gripen
JAS 39 Gripen Fighter from Sweden.
JAS 39 Gripen. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
JAS 39 Gripen. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a 19FortyFive National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing for 19FortyFive, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
