A JAS 39 Gripen taking off from a kortbana (short runway) located on public roadLong range attack aircraft such as the Su-24 became a new threat to air bases during the 1970s and 1980s
Bas 90 (Flygbassystem 90, Air Base System 90) was an air base system used by the Swedish Air Force during the Cold War. Bas 90 was developed during the 1970s and 1980s from the existing Bas 60 system in response to the new threats and needs that had arisen since the conception of the Bas 60 system during the 1950s. Like its predecessor, the Bas 90 system was based around defensive force dispersal of aircraft across many krigsflygbaser (wartime air bases) in case of war, as well as dispersion of the air base functions within the individual bases themselves. The air units would have been dispersed so one squadron (8–12 aircraft) would be stationed per krigsflygbas. The system was a protective measure against nuclear weapons and airstrikes, the purpose being to make it complicated for an opponent to destroy the Swedish Air Force on the ground and thus ensure endurance for the air force in a conflict scenario.
The Six-Day War, where the Israeli Air Force destroyed most of the Egyptian Air Force on the ground during its opening stages in Operation Focus, served both as validation for the Swedish dispersion concept and as reason to develop the system further. Another reason to improve the system was the introduction of long range attack aircraft (primarily the Su-24) and cluster munitions and anti-runway bombs, which made air bases more vulnerable to conventional bombing. Bas 60 had primarily been designed around the threat of nuclear weapons.
The development of Bas 90 began in the 1970s and started being implemented in the 1980s. The main improvements in Bas 90 compared to Bas 60 was the addition of backup runways in direct vicinity to the main airfield, a more mobile groundcrew and improved communication technology.
The goal was to have a total of about 200 runways of different types available for military use across Sweden. This included bases that would not be upgraded to Bas 90 standard, road runways from the Bas 60 system and selected civilian airports. The air bases became organized into flygbasgrupper (air base groups). One air base group consisted of a main base (built or planned to be built to Bas 90 standard) and a number of alternative and reserve bases.
During peace time the air squadrons were stationed at their respective air wing and deployment to the wartime air bases would only occur when the threat level increased. But many of the air wings also doubled as wartime air bases and thus some air wings were also built to Bas 90 standard. The wartime air bases were only manned by a smaller bastropp (base troop) during peace time and the full base battalion would only be manned with a mobilization (except during certain exercises). This was because the majority of the units were made up by conscripts. The base system was therefore never fully active during the time it existed, like the rest of the Swedish Armed Forces during the Cold War and the immediate period after.
Bas90 (Flygbassystem 90, Air Base System 90) was an air base system used by the Swedish Air Force during the Cold War. Bas90 was developed during the...
as the Sukhoi Su-24, the system was further developed into Bas90. Improvements in the Bas90 system included construction of short backup runways in the...
included 800 m long by 17 m wide rudimentary runways that were part of the Bas90 system. One goal was for the aircraft to be smaller than the Viggen while...
Road runways were also introduced as backup runways. Bas 60 was developed further into Bas90 during the 1970s and 1980s. During the Cold War large amounts...
can however also be quite small—the short runways built in the Swedish Bas90 system are commonly only 800 m (2,600 ft) in length. The STOL-capability...
highway strips. Examples of uses of dispersal bases are the Swedish Bas 60 and Bas90 systems, the British V-Bomber dispersal bases, and NATO's Dispersed...
runways was another factor that motivated STOL capability. Bas 60 was developed into Bas90 in the 1970s and 1980s, and included short runways only 800...
vertical take off Harriers, dispersals in forest clearings or the Bas 60 and Bas90 systems of the Swedish Air Force. However, when dispersed in such...
Bastiaan Johan Christiaan "Bas Jan" Ader (19 April 1942 – disappeared 1975) was a Dutch conceptual and performance artist, and photographer. His work...
eight AV-8B Harriers. The Swedish Air Force developed and used the Bas 60 and Bas90 air base systems as a defensive measure against offensive counter...
Sweden was moved to Vidsel Air Base. Vidsel Air Base was completed as a Bas90 airbase in 1989, meaning that apart from a main runway three shorter runways...
Neder, Nieder, Nedre, Nether, Lage(r) or Low(er) (in Germanic languages) and Bas or Inferior (in Romance languages) are in use in low-lying places all over...
-vāsin and later became ވެހި vehi. ބަސް bas (from Sanskrit भाषा bhāṣā) means "language", so ދިވެހިބަސް dhivehi bas means "islanders' language". Wilhelm Geiger...
created in the early 1980s with the adoption by the Swedish Air Force of the Bas90 system of force dispersal of aircraft to wartime air bases (including usage...
6.06694 .* Note: NATO construction never performed. RAAF Bare Bases Bas 60 Bas90 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force...
Sir Hedley Francis Le Bas (1868–1926) was a British publisher and advertising executive. He is best known for the World War I recruiting campaign using...
Bastiaan Johan "Bas" Heijne (born 9 January 1960) is a Dutch writer and translator. Bastiaan Johan Heijne was born in Nijmegen in the Netherlands on 9...
kickboxing champion and had an astonishing 90% knockout ratio. He beat many notable fighters over his career, such as Bas Rutten, Ken Shamrock, and British heavyweight...
Bas Schouten (born 19 October 1994 in Hoorn) is a Dutch auto racing driver. Schouten has raced in various international racing series such as the TCR...
Bas Sibum (born 26 December 1982) is a Dutch professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Eerste Divisie club Roda JC. Sibum...
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