Lvkv m/42 II
The Lvkv m/42 S-II was the second prototype of Sweden’s early Cold War self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, originally designated Lvkv fm/49 . Developed by Bofors under the project designation VAK 40 S/49, the vehicle was intended to provide mobile air defence for Swedish armoured formations using a 40 mm Bofors Lvakan m/48 automatic cannon.
The original project envisioned the gun vehicles operating alongside a dedicated radar-equipped fire-control vehicle, which would calculate firing solutions against aircraft and relay the necessary information to the guns. However, the planned fire-control vehicle was postponed while the first two gun prototypes underwent testing. The prototypes also ended up considerably heavier than originally intended, raising concerns about their mobility and ground pressure.
By 1953, the experimental designation Lvkv fm/49 had been replaced by Lvkv 42. Despite continued investigations into suitable fire-control systems, the project never progressed to serial production and was eventually cancelled around 1959, as Sweden’s efforts to develop more advanced anti-aircraft systems continued.
Following the cancellation, the two prototypes went their separate ways. The second prototype, Lvkv m/42 S-II, was converted into a radar test vehicle , contributing to the continued development of Swedish radar-directed anti-aircraft systems. Its later fate remains unclear, but it appears to have been abandoned and ultimately lost. The first prototype, meanwhile, survived and was eventually preserved at Försvarsfordonsmuseet Arsenalen in Strängnäs.
Although the S-II never became a production vehicle, its later use as a radar test platform represents an interesting continuation of the original project’s emphasis on radar-assisted anti-aircraft fire. It serves as a reminder that even cancelled Swedish armoured vehicle projects could contribute to the development of later military technology. (VEAK 40)
Although the Lvkv m/42 S-II was a real, physically built prototype, its later conversion into a radar test vehicle makes it an unlikely candidate for War Thunder. The radar equipment required an external source to operate, meaning the vehicle was not a self-contained radar-directed anti-aircraft system.
Its later configuration was intended for testing radar equipment rather than combat service, and there is limited justification for implementing it as a playable combat vehicle in this form. While the original Lvkv m/42 prototypes were genuine anti-aircraft vehicle designs, the S-II’s conversion into an externally supported test platform makes its suitability for War Thunder questionable.
