The Saab 37 Viggen was the first aircraft to use an airborne digital computer.

Wars & Conflicts · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Designed to operate from short, improvised runways, the Swedish Saab 37 Viggen was a marvel of 1960s engineering. It pioneered the use of integrated circuits for flight control and featured a radical canard-delta wing configuration, making it one of the most advanced combat aircraft in Europe upon its introduction.

The Saab 37 Viggen, whose name translates to both 'tufted duck' and 'thunderbolt,' was developed to replace the Saab 32 Lansen and Saab 35 Draken. Its design was finalized in 1963, featuring a unique canard foreplane and a double delta wing. This configuration allowed the aircraft to achieve supersonic speeds while maintaining the short-field performance necessary for Sweden's Bas 60 air base system, which utilized short runways and even public roads for force dispersal during wartime.

At the heart of the Viggen's innovation was the CK 37, the world's first airborne digital computer to utilize integrated circuits. This system automated complex tasks, effectively replacing the need for a human navigator. The aircraft was powered by the Volvo RM8, a heavily modified version of the American Pratt & Whitney JT8D engine. The RM8 was the first engine to feature both an afterburner and a thrust reverser, the latter being critical for the aircraft's ability to land on runways as short as 500 meters.

The platform evolved through several variants, including the AJ 37 strike fighter, reconnaissance models, and the all-weather JA 37 interceptor. By the 1980s, the JA 37 introduced a 'fighter link' that allowed encrypted data sharing between aircraft, enabling coordinated attacks while maintaining radio silence. Despite its advanced capabilities and a 1991 upgrade program that doubled system effectiveness, the Viggen was eventually replaced by the Saab JAS 39 Gripen. Production ceased in 1990, marking the end of a project that once accounted for 10 percent of all Swedish research and development funding.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• Sweden’s Gripen fighter was designed to operate from rudimentary roads during a national invasion.
• The aircraft designed by secret papers from a fleeing Nazi engineer
• The Saab 340 was a revolutionary regional airliner that outlived its own production line
• The Flying Barrel: How a rotund Swedish fighter became a Cold War icon
• The heavy, underpowered tank that crews dreaded serving in
• From a brewery to a global arms powerhouse
• How a 1939 Department Store Marketing Campaign Created a Modern Christmas Icon
• Did a phantom empire of Viking kings once rule the East?
• The oldest Christian artifact in the Philippines holds the military rank of Captain-General.
• How the Allies neutralized Germany's industrial heartland without a direct, bloody urban assault.
• When the King of Saudi Arabia Defeated Yemen but Chose Not to Rule It
• The Royal Yugoslav Navy was a fragile force built from the ashes of empire

More in World wars era · More in Wars & Conflicts · Latest · A–Z · All topics