During the First World War, the aircraft used by the participating nations were rapidly developed. No real bombers were in use when the conflict started in 1914, but during the four years of war, large, twin-engine bombers were built both in Germany and Britain. But their efficiency  were limited. No warship was ever sunk or heavily damaged by an aircraft. No war production was ever stopped by bomb attacks.

After the war, Sweden purchased a few two-engine surplus AEG bombers. But these aircraft were hardly flown in Sweden as bombers. Their valuable engines were instead used in other kinds of aircraft.

When the Swedish Air Force was founded in 1926, just a few FIAT bombers in bad condition were taken over from the Army Aviation Company. They were never used as combat aircraft in the Air Force. In 1936, the Swedish parliament decided to establish four bomber wings, but it was hard to get any suitable bomber aircraft. It was first during the last part of WWII, SAAB began to produce good aircraft in sufficient quantities.

At the beginning of the Cold War, propositions was made among certain politicians to the develop a Swedish nuclear weapon. In 1952,  SAAB started the design work of a suitable bomber aircraft to carry the Swedish nuclear bomb. The design was a single-seat, high-speed delta winged aircraft with internal bomb bay, capable to carry a 600-800 kg free fall nuclear bomb.  But the Swedish parliament decided eventually that our country would not join the international nuclear weapon league. The project was cancelled in 1957.

The last aircraft in the Swedish Air Force with the designation B as ”Bomber” was the SAAB B 18. Later aircraft in the ground attack role were designated A as ”Attack”.

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B 3 - Junkers Ju 86K (1936-1958)

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