Using aircraft to tow drogue targets on a long cable for anti-aircraft and air-to-air gunnery training is a practice which dates back to the 1930s. During, and immediately following, World War Two, many obsolete frontline aircraft were used as target tugs by the RAF. At the height of the Cold War in the early 1960s, one of the most efficient and modern armed forces in the world belonged to neutral Sweden. Then purely a force for national defence, Sweden's armed forces relied entirely on their own training proficiency to deter the threat from the neighbouring Soviet Union. One example of the 'in-house' training that served the Swedish forces so well was provided by a private company - Svensk Flygtjanst AB, which operated a fleet of target towing aircraft. Initially based at Bromma, near Stockholm, Svensk used 19 modified former Flygvapnst (Swedish Air Force) Saab B-17A light bombers, and three ex-Royal Navy Fairey Firefly T.1s in the 1950s. These were later supplemented by three ex-RAF Gloster Meteor T.7 jet trainers modified for the role by Flight Refuelling Ltd.
展开▼
