Ukraine's Ministry of Defense has confirmed that the Swedish-supplied ASC 890 airborne early warning and control aircraft flew its first combat sorties over Ukraine in March 2026, the first official acknowledgment that the type has moved from delivery into operational use.
The disclosure appeared in a ministry explainer on the Air Force Capability Coalition (AFCC), published in Ukrainian on September 4, 2026. The AFCC was established in October 2023 under the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and is co-led by Denmark, the Netherlands and the United States, with 14 member states.
The ASC 890 gives Ukraine its first and only dedicated airborne early warning and control capability. Prior to the Swedish transfer, the Ukrainian Air Force did not operate an aircraft of this type. The ministry has not disclosed a figure for sorties flown, an operating location or a mission profile.
Sweden announced the transfer in May 2024 as part of its 16th military support package. The Ukrainian ministry confirmed the transfer in August 2025, and the first combat sorties followed in March 2026.
The ASC 890 is a Saab 340 regional turboprop fitted with an Erieye active electronically scanned array radar. The ministry said the type can detect airborne targets at long range, coordinate combat air operations and enable more effective use of fighter aircraft.
Known in Swedish service as the S 100D Argus, the ASC 890 is a rebuild of the earlier S 100B Argus, which entered service in 1997. Sweden ordered two GlobalEye aircraft, designated S 106, in June 2022 and exercised an option for a third in June 2024; the Swedish government said in May 2024 it would advance those deliveries to offset the capability loss.
The ministry added that, alongside the F-16, Mirage 2000 and Gripen, the ASC 890 forms the basis of a network-centric air combat system aligned with NATO standards.
