Ukraine Has Started Combat Deployment of ASC 890 Long-Range Radar Detection Aircraft

The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine has confirmed the start of combat deployment of ASC 890 long-range radar detection (LRD) aircraft.

This information came to light in a Ministry of Defense publication titled “Air Force Capabilities Coalition: How Partners Are Helping Build Future of Ukrainian Air Force.”

According to the ministry, the transfer of the aircraft was announced in May 2024, confirmed in August 2025, and by March 2026, the first combat sorties of the ASC 890 over Ukraine were recorded.

“Together with the F-16, Mirage 2000, and Gripen, it forms the foundation of a modern network-centric air combat system in accordance with NATO standards,” the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine stated.

ASC 890 AEW&C

On May 30, 2024, the Swedish government announced the allocation of its largest military aid package to Ukraine to date, totaling €1.16 billion.

“The package includes two Airborne Surveillance and Control (ACS890) aircraft, which will help Ukraine identify targets at long range,” the press secretary for the Swedish Prime Minister said at the time.

On the same day, a ceremony was held during which Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson formally handed over the aircraft directly to the Ukrainian ambassador to Sweden.

A key component of the ASC 890, also known as the Saab 340 AEW&C, is its FSR 890 radar. The FSR 890 Erieye is a modern pulsed Doppler radar with an active phased array antenna and electronic scanning. It was developed using state-of-the-art gallium nitride (GaN)-based components.

The radar operates in the S-band, which provides better atmospheric penetration and protection against radar jamming compared to the X-band radars found on most other AEW&C aircraft, at the cost of a slightly shorter detection range.

The Erieye can simultaneously track up to 500 surface targets and 1,000 air targets. The radar covers altitudes up to 20 km and has an instrumental detection range of 450 kilometers. For fighter jets, this range reaches approximately 350 km.

At an altitude of 6,000 meters, the Saab 340 AEW&C can detect cruise missiles at low altitudes from a distance of several hundred kilometers, whereas for ground-based radars, this range is limited to 40–50 km.

It is known that Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets have undergone ‘certain modifications’ to interoperate with the Swedish-supplied AEW&C aircraft.