| Norrbotten Wing | |
|---|---|
| Norrbottens flygflottilj | |
 | |
| Active | 1941–present |
| Country | Sweden |
| Allegiance | Swedish Armed Forces |
| Branch | Swedish Air Force |
| Type | Wing |
| Role | Recon wing (1949–1961) Fighter & recon wing (1961–2002) Fighter wing (2002–present) |
| Garrison/HQ | Luleå |
| March | "Stratos" (Råberg)[note 1] |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | COL Peter Greberg |
| Insignia | |
| Roundels |   |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | |
| Bomber | |
| Electronic warfare | |
| Fighter | |
| Multirole helicopter | |
| Reconnaissance | |
| Transport | |
Norrbotten Wing[2] (Swedish:Norrbottens flygflottilj), alsoF 21 Luleå, or simplyF 21, is aSwedish Air Forcewing with the main base located inLuleå Airport in northernSweden. It is one of the three remaining wings in Sweden and currently has twosquadrons ofmultirole aircraft. F 21 in the north and F 17 in the south are the two wings remaining to have operational squadrons. F 7 is a school where pilots begin their training in the JAS 39 Gripen. Once completed the pilot's training is moved out to the two operational wings where they acquire their final training.
Parts of the Swedish helicopter forces are today stationed at F 21 withMEDEVAC in subarctic climate as its main task. The wing uses thecoat of arms of Luleå as the emblem. F 21 currently operates two HKP 10B in Afghanistan.
F 21 figures in the crime novelThe Red Wolf byLiza Marklund.
Current fleet:
The unit's first coat of arms, used by the Royal Norrbotten Air Base Corps was used from 1941 to 1963.Blazon: "Azure, powdered with estoiles or, the provincial badge ofVästerbotten, a reindeer courant argent, armed and langued gules".[3] The unit's second coat of arms, used by Norrbotten Wing, was used from 1963 to 1994. Blazon: "Argent, the town badge of Luleå, two keys azure in saltire, sinister inverted."[3] The current coat of arms has been used since 1994. Blazon: "Argent, the town badge of Luleå, two keys azure in saltire, sinister inverted, a chief azure charged with a winged two-bladed propeller or".[3]
The colour was presented to the then Royal Norrbotten Air Base Corps (F 21) atBarkarby by His Majesty the KingGustaf V on 17 September 1944.[4] The colour is drawn by Brita Grep and embroidered by hand in insertion technique by the company Libraria.Blazon: "On blue cloth in the centre the badge of the Air Force; a winged two-bladed propeller under a royal crown proper, all in yellow. In the first corner the town badge ofLuleå; two white keys in saltire, the left inverted."[4] On 2 September 2014 His Majesty the KingCarl XVI Gustaf presented a new colour to wing commander colonel Fredrik Bergman. As a tradition-bearing unit of previously disbanded wings, the new colour added traditional heritage fromJämtland Wing (F 4) andHälsinge Wing (F 15) in the form of eachcounty's coat of arms. The town badge ofLuleå, two white keys in saltire can also be found in the new colour.[5]
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In 1996, theNorrbottens flygflottiljs (F 21) förtjänstmedalj ("Norrbotten Wing (F 21) Medal of Merit") in gold (NorrbffljGM) of the 8th size was established. Themedal ribbon is blue with red edges and a yellow stripe on the middle.[6]
From 1941 to 1963, the commanding officers was referred to askårchef ("corps commander") and had the rank oflieutenant colonel. From 1942, the corps commander had the rank ofcolonel. From 1942 to 1957, the commanding officer of F 21 was also commanding officer ofUpper Norrland Air Defence District (Flybo ÖN). When the wing organization was introduced in 1963, the commanding officer was referred to asflottiljchef ("wing commander"), and had the rank of colonel. From 1976 to 1994, the wing commander was referred to assektorflottiljchef ("sector wing commander") and had the rank ofsenior colonel. From 1 July 1994, the commanding officer is again referred to asflottiljchef ("wing commander"), and has the rank of colonel.
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In order to relieve the sector wing commander, a deputy sector wing commander position was added in 1975. Its task was to lead the unit procurement, a task largely similar to the old wing commander position. Hence he was also referred to asflottiljchef ("wing commander"). The deputy sector wing commander had the rank of colonel. On 30 June 1993, the deputy sector wing commander position was terminated.
| Name | Translation | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kungl. Norrbottens flygbaskår | Royal Norrbotten Air Base Corps | 1941-07-01 | – | 1963-06-30 |
| Kungl. Norrbottens flygflottilj | Royal Norrbotten Wing | 1963-07-01 | – | 1974-12-31 |
| Norrbottens flygflottilj | Norrbotten Wing[2] Norrbotten Air Group[7] | 1975-01-01 | – | |
| Designation | From | To | ||
| F 21 | 1941-07-01 | – | 1957-09-30 | |
| F 21/Se ÖN1 | 1957-10-01 | – | 1965-??-?? | |
| F 21/Se ÖN3 | 1957-10-01 | – | 1981-??-?? | |
| F 21/Se ÖN | 1981-??-?? | – | 1993-06-30 | |
| F 21/FK N | 1993-07-01 | – | 1994-06-30 | |
| F 21 | 1994-07-01 | – | ||
| Location | From | To | ||
| Luleå Airport | 1941-07-01 | – |
| Swedish Air Force wings | |
|---|---|
| Currently active | |
| Inactive | |