Europe’s last Sabreliner

For over 40 years Sweden’s Defence Material Administration (FMV) operated the Rockwell Tp86 Sabreliner. Chris Melaisi visited the unit to witness one of the world’s last military Sabreliner missions before retirement in June 2025:

Providing valuable test and evaluation flights, the Swedish Air Force has utilised two Rockwell (Formerly North American) Sabreliner 40A’s for over 40 years to operate as research platforms within the Swedish Defence Material Administration (Försvarets materielverk, or FMV). Sweden’s Flight Test Centre (FTC) is situated at Malmen Air Base, near the city of Linköping. Here, thorough testing and evaluation is performed to ensure the safety and performance of critical airborne systems and platforms. FMV FTC is the responsible design organisation for all flying platforms within the Swedish Armed Forces and is fully approved to implement design changes and modify flying platforms for flight trials.

Looking down on the Test and Evaluation Tp86 as it starts its JT-12 engines at homebase Malmen. For this mission, ‘TESTER 861’ is equipped with exterior pods on the wings for electronic warfare training with based Gripens.

History & Role:

In August 1980, Sweden took delivery of its first Sabreliner from Rockwell in the USA. The aircraft in question was a 1965 built Sabreliner 40A (c/n 282-49) which was given the Swedish designation ‘Tp86’ and registered 86001. Two years later, another 40A was acquired (c/n 282-91) and was provided with the serial 86002. Sweden continued to fly two Sabreliner up until 2005, when 86002 was retired and became an instructional airframe at Malmen, leaving just 86001 to perform all test and evaluation flights over the next 20 years to June 2025. Throughout the years, both aircraft have provided FMV with a test and evaluation platform for various taskings, including the testing of radar warning systems for early SAAB Gripen models, meteorological investigations and the testing of the ‘CARABAS’ radar system amongst other roles. The author speaks with FMV Tp86 Sabreliner Pilot Dan Eriksson to learn more about the aircraft and its role over the past decade;   

‘The Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) hire us to equip the Sabreliner with the SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar). CARABAS (Coherent All Radio Bands Automated Scanner) is an airborne, low-frequency, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system that operates in the VHF band. Its low frequency allows it to penetrate foliage, making it useful for detecting concealed objects, even in dense forests. The CARABAS features long probes which are attached to the front of the Tp86. We usually only fly one campaign every year in this configuration and each mission requires a huge amount of planning with the FOI. In 2012 we flew the Sabreliner to Thailand to perform demonstrations with the SAR and this marked our furthest ever mission with the aircraft.’

Over the past decade the Swedish Tp86 has rarely ventured outside of Sweden, with test and evaluation work being largely performed within the country. The aircraft has made some rare appearances around Europe over the past 5 years where it has been noted visiting Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. Pilot Eriksson continues;  ‘We occasionally use the aircraft for transportation and fly within Europe on routine flights. Over the past decade we haven’t flown more than 50 hours a year with the aircraft. It usually operates between 30-40 hours per annum, dependant on the tasking. The usage of the Sabreliner relies heavily on maintenance and the time it takes to rebuild and modify the aircraft with equipment between test missions. In the last 5 years of service we started using it as a jammer, acting as a threat for testing purposes against the Gripen.’   

 Rockwell Tp86 Sabreliner 40A 86001 is seen on a rare visit to Edinburgh, United Kingdom in 2020 during the height of the global pandemic. The aircraft was tasked at short notice on a passenger flight and operated as ‘SWEDEFORCE 822’ from Malmen.

‘‘TESTER861’’ sits on the ground at Malmen, ahead of starting up.

Flying the Sabre and Retirement;

During the final years, the Tp86 has been unable to operate in all airspace and airfields. Upgraded systems were required on the Sabreliner but due to cost, the aircraft’s age and a plan for retirement in 2023, it was decided not to apply these upgrades. This resulted in more pre-flight planning and the crew having to avoid certain civilian airspace. The aircraft is only B-RNAV (Basic Area Navigation) approved, which means it cannot perform an RNAV approach, a type which many civilian airfields are switching to. Sweden’s Rockwell Tp86 Sabreliner 40A is equipped with two Pratt & Whitney JT12A-8 turbojet engines (Swedish Designation: RM 11). Noise abatement flying must be taken into further consideration over civilian areas and when operating into civilian airfields. During test flights out of Malmen, Tp86 86001 uses the callsign ‘TESTER 861’ and flies with a minimum crew of two. Usually, a crew of three are onboard, consisting of two pilots and a flight engineer. Passengers from FOI are often present on flights, performing the testing of equipment on board in relation to the aircraft’s tasking. ‘I appreciate the diversity in the missions we perform here at FMV and the Sabreliner has proven itself as a great platform for this. Although cost effective in the beginning, finding spare parts and keeping the aircraft pristine for our mission is now proving costly and is the main reason for its up-coming retirement’,  says Eriksson; ‘The Sabreliner is a great aircraft to fly, it has a lot of unique capabilities. The aircraft obtained its name from the F-86 Sabre, its wing and tail shape were derived from the old fighter and it’s also the only ‘biz jet’ rated for aerobatics! The systems onboard are original, it’s a two pilot system and requires both of our attention at all times for seamless flight. The aircraft is based on VOR, DME and NDB and although it lacks modern equipment, it has proven to be a successful platform during modern times.’

Tp86 pilots are seen performing pre start-up checks for a short mission as ‘TESTER 861’. Although compact, the Sabreliner’s ‘retro’ cockpit provides great visuals. Both pilots wear a version of the FMV Flight Test centre patch.

A decision was made in 2023 to keep the aircraft operational until 2025, in order to maintain and have a test platform available until the aircraft’s replacement (Learjet 60) was ready. Over the past 2 years Tp86 86001 flew less than 10 hours per annum until its eventual retirement and final flight on the 18th June 2025, where it performed one final mission on behalf of FOI on its 60th year of flight. Since 1980, the Tp86 Sabreliner 40A has been a crucial asset for Sweden’s Defence Material Administration (FMV) in projects such as the development of Electronic Warfare System testing for the Gripen and validation of FOI’s SAR research. The Sabreliner will be missed by all including pilots Dan & Michael and engineer Peter. The mission will now continue with a more modern platform from Malmen, which is expected to serve until at least 2035.

Over the years, Sweden’s FMV have kept the Sabreliner immaculate through regular maintenance and dedicated storage between flights. Here, 86001 is seen at homebase Malmen. Note the Sabreliner’s 40A’s large airbrake, deployed under the forward fuselage.

‘TESTER 861’ rockets out of Malmen for one final time before retirement. The aircraft’s JT-12 engine rumble will certainly be missed in Europe.