🇸🇪 Vidsel Air Base

Vidsel Air Base (ESPE) is a military airfield located 15 km west-northwest of the town of Vidsel, Sweden. It is a critical component of the Vidsel Test Range, which is operated by the Test & Evaluation (T&E) department of the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV).

• Construction and History: Established in 1957 as a secret wartime air base ("Krigsflytfält nr. 42"), its secrecy was lifted in 1965. It was completed as a Bas 90 airbase in 1989.
• Ownership and Operation: The Swedish Air Force owns and operates the base, with the 21st Air Force Wing being the proprietor. FMV T&E uses the base as part of the Vidsel Test Range.
• Runways: The base has one main asphalt runway (11/29, 2230 m / 7320 ft) and three shorter asphalt runways (800 m / 2625 ft), two of which are operational.
• Purpose and Use: Vidsel Air Base serves as a dispersed airbase for the Swedish Air Force and is primarily used for aerospace test and evaluation activities by FMV. This includes testing electronic warfare systems, long-range artillery, ground-based air defense, laser-guided bombs, and long-range missiles. It also hosts flight training and combat readiness exercises.
• Restricted Area: The airfield is situated within the Vidsel Test Range, which comprises 3300 km² of restricted ground area and 8800 km² of restricted airspace.
• Civilian Use: Civilian aircraft are generally not permitted to use the airfield unless their use is related to defense activities.

*Sources researched: en.wikipedia.org, testandevaluation.fmv.se, iki.vatsim-scandinavia.org, acukwik.com, ebsite.jettly.com*