F 3 Malmslätt, Kungliga Östgöta Flygflottilj, Royal Östgöta Air Force Wing, or simply "F 3", is a former Swedish Air Force wing with the main base located at Malmen air base near Linköping in south-eastern Sweden.
History of the airbase
In August 1912, the first pilot school in Sweden was set up at Malmslätt by Carl Gustav Cederström at the location of the 1st Life Grenadier Regiment (I 4). In 1927, that regiment merged with the 2nd Life Grenadier Regiment and moved to new garrisons in Linköping Town to give room for the newly set up 3rd Flying Corps F 3. The name was changed in 1936 to Östgöta Flygflottilj (Östgöta Air Force Wing).
Initially, the corps, or wing, operated the S 1, S 6, S 16, S 17, S 18 and S 22 in reconnaissance squadrons until 1948 when it was converted to a fighter wing by converting the S 22s and replacing other reconnaissance aircraft with three squadrons of J 22s.
In 1950, F 3 received the J 28A from F 13 Norrköping which was replaced rather quickly with J 29As in 1953. Not until 1985 were they in turn replaced by J 35Ds. One squadron was decommissioned in 1970 and the two remaining were converted to J 35Fs.
The two remaining squadrons of J 35F were moved in 1973 to F 17 Kallinge when the air wing was decommissioned. The remaining administrative part of the wing was decommissioned in 1974.
The air base was still kept active as a detachment to F 13 Norrköping as F 13 M until 1994, to F 16 Uppsala as F 16 M until 2003 and now serving as F 17 M to F 17 Kallinge.
The airfield is known today as Malmen Air Base (ICAO: ESCF). It is currently home to the Swedish Air Force Museum.