SAAB J-35 Draken

Saab 35 Draken
A Swedish Air Force SK 35C in flight
Role	Fighter aircraft
National origin	Sweden
Manufacturer	Saab
First flight	25 October 1955
Introduction	8 March 1960
Retired	2005 (Austria)
Status	Retired from military service
Primary users	Swedish Air Force Austrian Air Force Finnish Air Force Royal Danish Air Force
Produced	1955–1974
Number built	651
Variants	Saab 210

The Saab 35 Draken ("the kite" or "the dragon") was a Swedish fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by Saab between 1955 and 1974. It holds the distinction of being the first fully supersonic aircraft to be deployed in Western Europe.

The Draken was developed during the 1940s and 1950s to replace Sweden's first generation of jet-powered fighter aircraft, the Saab J 29 Tunnan and, later, the fighter variant (J 32B) of the Saab 32 Lansen. It featured an innovative "double-delta" wing; in order to test this previously-unexplored aerodynamic feature, a sub-scale test aircraft, the Saab 210, was produced and flown. Indigenously developed in Sweden, the Draken was introduced into service with the Royal Swedish Air Force (RSAF) on 8 March 1960. Early models were intended purely to perform air defense missions, the type being considered to be a capable dog fighter for the era.

The Draken functioned as an effective supersonic fighter aircraft of the Cold War period. In Swedish service, it underwent several upgrades, the ultimate of these being the J 35J model. By the 1980s, the RSAF's Drakens had been largely been replaced by the more advanced Saab 37 Viggen fighter, while the introduction of the more capable Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter was expected in service within a decade, although delayed. As a consequence of cutbacks and high maintenance costs, the RSAF opted to retire the Draken during December 1999. This was also exported to Austria, Denmark, Finland, and to the United States; the latter operated the type as a training aircraft for test pilots.

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