The Heinkel He 115 offered a more capable torpedo-strike platform than Sweden's earlier test aircraft. Its longer range, larger crew, and ability to operate from water made it suitable for dispersed Baltic basing instead of dependence on a few fixed airfields. Even when ice restricted operations, Sweden and its neighbors possessed icebreakers that could help preserve access to open water. Sweden considered building more aircraft, but the outbreak of war cut off templates, components, and machine-tool support. Domestic facilities could maintain and repair the existing fleet, yet could not reproduce the type in the desired numbers. Keeping an imported weapon operational was different from possessing true production independence.
Chapter · 29:54-31:51
He 115 dispersed seaplane strike
The longer-ranged He 115 could carry a larger crew, operate from water, and disperse around the Baltic, but war prevented Sweden from acquiring the tooling needed for domestic production.