F 13 Norrköping

Air Force Wing
emblem=
officialname=Kungliga Bråvalla Flygflottilj
locatedin=Norrköping,
Norrköping Municipality
founded=1944
closed=1994
wingcommander=Lage Thunberg (1943-1947)
Grels Næslund (1947-1948)
Ante Söderlindh (1948-1950)
Frank Cervell (1950-1959)
Nils M von Arbin (1959-1964)
Hans Neij (1964-1966)
Gunnar Rissler (1966)
Carl Norberg (1966-1980)
Kurt Hagerström (1980-1984)
Börje Björkholm (1984-1987)
Herman Schultz (1987-1991)
Göte Pudas (1991-1994)
typesofaircraft=Fighter 1943-1993
Reconnaissance 1976-1993
maintypes=J 11, J 22, J 28A, J 29, J 35, JA 37, SF 37, SH 37
othertypes=G 101, Se 102, Se 103,
Se 104, B 5, B 17, P 1, Sk 12, Sk 15, Sk 16, Sk 50, J 8, J 32, Tp 45, Tp 79, Tp 83, TP 85
other=-

F 13 Norrköping, Bråvalla Flygflottilj, "Bråvalla Air Force Wing", or simply "F 13", is a former Swedish Air Force wing with the main base located near Norrköping in south-eastern Sweden.

History of the airbase

The Air Wing was established in 1943 as the fourth fighter wing, and the thirteenth wing in total, in the Swedish Air Force.

The location had been mapped out in 1941 and consisted of purchased land from "Sörby", "Knivberga" and "Ringstad" farmsteads. In 1942, preparation work on the almost square 1000 m by 1000 m grass air field was started and completed in September 1943. The main administration was housed inside Norrköping main hotel until the first office buildings were completed in 1945. The wing was given the name "Bråvalla" as a tie to the Battle of Bråvalla in 770.

The first fighter squadrons were set up by the Italian built J 11 in 1943 which was quickly replaced by the Swedish built J 22 in 1944.

In 1946, F 13 became the first wing in the Swedish Air Force to convert to jets with the J 28. It was later also first wing to introduce J 29 and J 35 in service in 1951 and 1960 respectively.

In 1976 a new reconnaissance squadron was set up with a combined SF/SH 37 fleet and in 1980, F 13 was yet again the first wing to receive the JA 37.

In June 3 1992 the decision was made to decommission the squadrons on June 30 1993 and the remaining wing administration on June 30 1994.

F 13 today

The airfield is known today as Norrköping-Bråvalla airfield (ICAO: ESCK). It is currently administered by F 17 Kallinge and is mainly used as a storage facility for obsolete equipment.

References

[http://www.f17.mil.se/article.php?id=12611 F 13 history] (in Swedish)

See also

* Swedish Armed Forces
* Swedish Air Force
* List of military aircraft of Sweden