F 4 Frösön

Air Force Wing
emblem=
officialname=Kungliga Jämtlands Flygflottilj
locatedin=Frösön,
Östersund Municipality
founded=1926
closed=2005
wingcommander=Gösta von Porat (1926-1934)
Å Lundström (1931-1932)
E.G. Gerdin (1934-1937)
Egmont Tornberg (1937-1943)
Björn Bjuggren (1943-1947)
CO Hugosson (1947-1961)
K Rasmusson (1961-1966)
E Nygren (1966-1968)
Evert Båge (1968-1973)
H Winblad (1973-1977)
Robert Gustafsson (1977-1985)
Svante Liljedahl (1985-1990)
Gunnar Ståhl (1990-1994)
Tord Karlsson (1994-1996)
Frank Fredriksson (1996-1998)
Ola Gynäs (1998-2000)
Jan Salestrand (2000-2003)
Tommy Bengtsson (2003-2005)
Hans Hansson (2005-2006)
Lena Hallin (2006)
typesofaircraft=Reconnaissance 1926-1937
Light bomber 1937-1946
Fighter 1946-2005
maintypes=B 4, B 5, B 17A,
J 26, J 28B, J 29F,
J 32B, J 35D,
JA 37, JAS 39
othertypes=
other=

F 4 Frösön, Kungliga Jämtlands Flygflottilj, "Royal Jämtland Air Force Wing", or simply "F 4", is a former Swedish Air Force wing with the main base located at Åre Östersund Airport near Östersund in north-western Sweden.

History of the airbase

The airbase was set up in 1926 as the 4th Flying Corps at the old base of Jämtland Field Ranger Regiment at "Frösö läger" (Frösö camp). The main task was to perform reconnaissance for army units.

In 1930, the duties were extended to bombing with B 4 and later B 5 planes.

In 1936 the Flying Corps was reorganized as an own branch (the Air Force) and the unit was renamed Jämtlands Flygflottilj (Jämtland Air Force Wing).

In 1947, the wing was yet again redesigned as a fighter wing and received surplus P-51 Mustangs designated as J 26. These were only kept for five years until they were replaced by J 28A jets in 1952. Again, after only four years, they were in turn replaced by J 29A in 1956.

In 1967 the J 32B entered service at the wing only to be replaced again in 1969 by J 35D. These served until 1984 when the Saab 37 Viggen was introduced as served the wing for 20 years.

The JAS 39 Gripen served briefly for only a year as a replacement for the Viggens until the wing was decommissioned in 2005. The airfield is known today as Åre Östersund Airport Airport codes|OSD|ESNZ.

References

[http://www.canit.se/~griffon/aviation/text/fv26-.html1 Webpage listing all air force squadrons in Sweden] (in Swedish)

See also

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