The Swedish Air Force’s new counter-drone concept, Loke, has been used in a live NATO mission for the first time.
The Loke concept is being developed by the Swedish Defence Material Administration, the Swedish Air Force and Saab, and has already become a central part of Sweden’s base-defence capability.
The system was deployed during the Swedish Air Force’s contribution to NATO operations at Malbork Air Base in Poland between April and September 2025. Military units from the 21th Wing and 17th Wing supported the protection of allied facilities, including a key logistics hub for military aid to Ukraine.
Loke was first evaluated earlier this year. It combines existing technologies into a modular system, integrating Saab’s Giraffe 1X mobile radar with a Trackfire remote weapon station armed with heavy and medium machine guns, as well as electronic-warfare components. The system has the capability to track both physical targets and signals in the electromagnetic spectrum, providing early detection and multiple options for neutralisation.
Development continues with the Swedish Air Force’s 21th Wing now training to operate Loke as a platoon-level capability. Lessons from recent exercises, including Baltic Trust 2025 in Latvia, are feeding into the next stage of integration. Full implementation across wartime units is planned by the end of 2025.
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Image: Saab
