Vidsel
Encyclopedia
Vidsel is a locality situated in Älvsbyn Municipality
, Norrbotten County
, Sweden
with 569 inhabitants in 2005. It is situated about 900 km north of Stockholm
, Sweden
, in the Arctic Circle
; Perhaps its earliest history is as a seasonal settlement, but permanent inhabitants have lived here since the 19th century.
The town was mainly founded in the 1950s, because of "Robotförsöksplats Norr" (RFN) (Missile Test Area North). The range forms part of the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration
(FMV) Testing Directorate, which is responsible for the verification of systems procured for the Swedish Armed Forces
.
RFN is the largest overland test range in Western Europe, consisting of 1,650 km² of uninhabited forest and marshland, which can be extended by 1,500 km² if required. The installation includes a military base with a 2,300 m runway. Because of its usage as a Swedish and Europe
an missile test site, this remote area is often listed in international weather forecasts and maps.
The site has been a test area for most Swedish flight developments, including Draken, Viggen and Gripen
. New tests with EADS Phoenix and Eurofighter
, as well as European military trainings, are planned for the future.
Älvsbyn Municipality
Älvsbyn Municipality is a municipality in Norrbotten County in northern Sweden. Its seat is located in Älvsbyn.The present municipality has the same size as the original one, created at the time the municipalities of Sweden were formed in 1863...
, Norrbotten County
Norrbotten County
Norrbotten County is the northernmost county or län of Sweden. It borders Västerbotten County to the southwest, the Gulf of Bothnia to the southeast. It also borders the counties of Nordland and Troms in Norway to the northwest, and Lapland Province in Finland to the northeast.The name...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
with 569 inhabitants in 2005. It is situated about 900 km north of Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, in the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
; Perhaps its earliest history is as a seasonal settlement, but permanent inhabitants have lived here since the 19th century.
The town was mainly founded in the 1950s, because of "Robotförsöksplats Norr" (RFN) (Missile Test Area North). The range forms part of the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration
Swedish Defence Materiel Administration
The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration is a Swedish government agency that reports to the Ministry of Defence. The agency is responsible for the supply of materiel to the Swedish defence organisation. It is located in Stockholm.-External links:* - Official site...
(FMV) Testing Directorate, which is responsible for the verification of systems procured for the Swedish Armed Forces
Swedish Armed Forces
The Swedish Armed Forces is a Swedish Government Agency responsible for the operation of the armed forces of the Realm. The primary task of the agency is to train, organize and to deploy military forces, domestically and abroad, while maintaining the long-term ability to defend the Realm in the...
.
RFN is the largest overland test range in Western Europe, consisting of 1,650 km² of uninhabited forest and marshland, which can be extended by 1,500 km² if required. The installation includes a military base with a 2,300 m runway. Because of its usage as a Swedish and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an missile test site, this remote area is often listed in international weather forecasts and maps.
The site has been a test area for most Swedish flight developments, including Draken, Viggen and Gripen
JAS 39 Gripen
The Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a lightweight single-engine multirole fighter manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. It was designed to replace the Saab 35 Draken and 37 Viggen in the Swedish Air Force...
. New tests with EADS Phoenix and Eurofighter
Eurofighter Typhoon
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole combat aircraft, designed and built by a consortium of three companies: EADS, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE Systems; working through a holding company, Eurofighter GmbH, which was formed in 1986...
, as well as European military trainings, are planned for the future.