Gorlish Air Force¶

Service chief: Chief of the Gorlish Air Force (reports to the Supreme Commander) Headquarters: Halmstrand-Norra Air Headquarters Active strength: ~25,000 Doctrine: Layered air defense; defensive counter-air anchored on national-territory airbases; tactical air support of land formations; strategic airlift in coalition support

The Gorlish Air Force (Flygvapnet) is the air-warfare service of the Gorlish Defense Forces. It is built around a single combat-aircraft type — the JAS-39 Gripen multi-role fighter, in the latest E/F variant — supported by a layered surface-based air defense system, a transport and helicopter fleet, and a national air-defense radar and command network that is one of the most sophisticated in the WDP zone.

Force structure¶

The Air Force is organized into four principal commands:

Command	Function	Subordinate forces
Combat Air Command	Fighter and strike operations	5 Fighter Squadrons (Gripen E/F)
Air Defense Command	Surface-based air defense	4 Air Defense Battalions (Patriot, IRIS-T)
Air Mobility Command	Transport, tanker, SAR	Transport, helicopter, refueling units
Air Operations Centre	National air picture, IADS integration	Radar network, command network

Combat aircraft¶

The Gorlish Air Force operates approximately 80 JAS-39 Gripen E/F multi-role fighters in five squadrons:

Squadron	Base	Role
F-7 'Halmstrand'	Halmstrand-Norra	Air defense / multi-role
F-10 'Söderbruk'	Söderbruk Air Base	Multi-role / strike
F-17 'Skogsmark'	Skogsmark Forward Air Base	Air defense
F-21 'Jotunfjell'	Vinterborg High Alpine Air Base	Air defense (northern theater)
F-22 'Östmark'	Halmstrand-Norra (relocated from Östhamn pre-war)	Strike / forward operations

The Gripen is well-suited to Gorlund's strategic situation: short takeoff and landing characteristics allow operation from dispersed bases and stretches of public highway under the BAS-90 dispersed-basing system, a national specialty. The aircraft is interoperable with WDP munitions, networked into the Arcadian-led WDP air picture, and equipped with the Meteor long-range air-to-air missile as its principal beyond-visual-range weapon.

Surface-based air defense¶

The Air Force operates a layered surface-based air defense system, fully integrated with Combat Air Command operations:

Layer	System	Quantity (battalions)
Long-range	Patriot PAC-3 (Arcadian-supplied)	2
Medium-range	IRIS-T SLM	2
Short-range	RBS-70 NG MANPADS, RBS-98 vehicle-mounted	Numerous; distributed across all active brigades
Counter-UAS	C-UAS systems	Distributed

The system is integrated into the broader WDP Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) network through the Air Operations Centre.

Air Mobility¶

Capability	Aircraft	Quantity (approximate)
Strategic transport	C-130J Super Hercules	6
Tactical transport / VIP	C-130, Saab 340	various
Air-to-air refueling	KC-130	2
Search and rescue	Helicopter, fixed-wing	1 squadron
Special operations support	Helicopter, fixed-wing	1 squadron

The Air Mobility component is sufficient for national logistic support and for limited contributions to WDP coalition operations.

Helicopter forces¶

The Air Force operates the country's heavy and medium helicopter fleet:

NH90 TTH medium transport helicopters (joint with the Army Aviation Regiment)
AS532 Cougar medium transport
AW109 light utility

Attack helicopters (Tiger HAP variant) are operated by the Army Aviation Regiment, not the Air Force.

Air Operations Centre¶

The Air Operations Centre (Strilcentralen) at Halmstrand-Norra is the operational nervecenter of national air defense. The AOC integrates:

National radar chain — high-power radars at Halmstrand-Norra, Söderbruk, Jernshamn, Vinterborg, Borgholm, Skarnvik
Mobile radar units — gap-filler radars for redundancy
Civil aviation integration — air traffic management cooperation
WDP IAMD feed — real-time integration into the broader alliance air picture

The AOC is functional 24/7 and was, in the opening days of the Continuation War, the institutional asset that prevented an early DPRR air-superiority collapse — Gorlish radar warning and the dispersed-basing system kept the Gripen fleet operational despite the first wave of DPRR cruise-missile strikes.

Dispersed basing — the BAS-90 system¶

A defining Gorlish operational capability is the BAS-90 dispersed-basing system — the doctrinal and infrastructural framework for operating combat aircraft from highway strips and small auxiliary fields rather than concentrating on a handful of main bases. The system includes:

~80 highway strips pre-surveyed and pre-equipped for Gripen operations
Pre-positioned fuel, munitions, and crew shelters at dispersed sites
Mobile ground-handling teams drawn from Air Force reservists
Rapid-deployment air-defense protection for activated dispersed sites

The system reflects the strategic assumption that all main air bases will be cruise-missile targets in any major war, and that resilience requires dispersion rather than hardening.

Special air capabilities¶

Electronic-warfare squadron — Gripen-based escort-jamming and SIGINT
UAS / drone operations — MQ-9 Reaper class for ISR and limited strike
Reconnaissance pod — Gripen reconnaissance configuration for tactical ISR

Strategic role¶

The Air Force's strategic missions, in priority order:

National air defense — keep Gorlish airspace contested
Tactical air support — close air support and battlefield air interdiction for the GDF and WDP land forces
Counter-air strike — disrupt enemy air operations through forward airfield strikes
WDP integration — contribute to the broader alliance air picture and joint operations
Air mobility — support of the WDP coalition logistic system

Bases¶

Base	Province	Role
Halmstrand-Norra	Halmland	Air HQ, F-7, F-22 squadrons, AOC
Söderbruk Air Base	Söderbruk	F-10 squadron, central reserve
Skogsmark Forward	Skogsmark	F-17 squadron, forward forest base
Vinterborg Alpine	Jotunland	F-21 squadron, northern theater
Borgholm Air Station	Borealkust	Maritime patrol coordination, helicopter SAR
Skarnvik Forward	Vorseyja	Northern dispersal, arctic operations

Plus the ~80 highway strips and auxiliary fields of the BAS-90 system.