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Swedish Gripen Es to be new-build rather than re-manufactured
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Swedish Gripen Es to be new-build rather than re-manufactured
Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
12 June 2014
A computer-generated impression of the Gripen E fighter. Sweden's plans to convert its Gripen Cs into Gripen Es have now been amended so that new-build aircraft will be manufactured instead. Source: Saab
The Swedish government is set to amend the Gripen E production contract so that the aircraft will be new-build rather than re-manufactured airframes, a Saab spokesperson confirmed to IHS Jane's on 12 June.
The country's parliament is said to have agreed the move to procure newly-built aircraft as opposed to re-manufactured Gripen Cs some weeks ago, and approved the decision by a large majority on 11 June. According to the spokesperson, the move was prompted by a need to keep the Swedish Air Force's (SwAF's) Gripen C fleet at full strength until the service fully transitions over to the Gripen E.
Under the terms of the original production contract awarded in December 2013, Saab was to convert 60 of SwAF's Gripen C platforms into the latest-variant Gripen E. The air force's 25 Gripen Ds would remain in service as lead-in fighter trainers until the full fleet of Gripen Es are delivered by 2026, and this will likely remain unaffected by the amended contract.
However, as noted by Saab officials in March, the Gripen C and Gripen E share little in terms of common structures and systems, with the only items able to be cross-decked being the windscreen and canopy, the outer elevons, the ejection-seat, the internal gun and conveyor system, and some other ancillary equipment. As such, it was always the case that the contract would need to be amended to reflect this.
It is not thought that this contract amendment will affect the Gripen E delivery schedule of 2018 through to 2026, and the national media reports said that the SEK16.4 billion (USD2.5 billion) price tag for the 60 aircraft remains unchanged.
Besides maintaining the SwAF's frontline fighter strength, the change in the production contract also resulted in freeing up a larger pool of Gripen C aircraft which can be leased to prospective Gripen E customers while they await their new aircraft - this was something that both Switzerland and Brazil had requested. While the SwAF had agreed to both of these countries borrowing some of its Gripen Cs, not much spare capacity was left for it to agree to too many more such requests.
As well as changing the terms of the production contract to new-build platforms, Swedish parliamentarians are also considering an increase in the numbers of aircraft to be procured to 70. The SwAF had originally requested between 60 and 80, and the recent tensions between Russia and Ukraine have refocused the political agenda to national defence.
When the Gripen E serial production contract was awarded, it was dependent on Saab securing a strategic partner. That partner was envisioned to be Switzerland, which selected Gripen E in late 2011 as a replacement for its ageing Northrop F-5 Tiger II fleet. However, a national referendum on the subject on 18 May scuppered the 22 aircraft and CHF2.2 billion (USD2.5 billion) sale with a narrow 'no' vote.
With the Swiss deal now moribund, Brazil looks set to take on the mantle as the programme's strategic partner, as Saab looks to seal an approximately BRL10 billion (USD4.5 billion) deal for 36 aircraft by the end of 2014.
IHS Janes
Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
12 June 2014
Quote:
A computer-generated impression of the Gripen E fighter. Sweden's plans to convert its Gripen Cs into Gripen Es have now been amended so that new-build aircraft will be manufactured instead. Source: Saab
The Swedish government is set to amend the Gripen E production contract so that the aircraft will be new-build rather than re-manufactured airframes, a Saab spokesperson confirmed to IHS Jane's on 12 June.
The country's parliament is said to have agreed the move to procure newly-built aircraft as opposed to re-manufactured Gripen Cs some weeks ago, and approved the decision by a large majority on 11 June. According to the spokesperson, the move was prompted by a need to keep the Swedish Air Force's (SwAF's) Gripen C fleet at full strength until the service fully transitions over to the Gripen E.
Under the terms of the original production contract awarded in December 2013, Saab was to convert 60 of SwAF's Gripen C platforms into the latest-variant Gripen E. The air force's 25 Gripen Ds would remain in service as lead-in fighter trainers until the full fleet of Gripen Es are delivered by 2026, and this will likely remain unaffected by the amended contract.
However, as noted by Saab officials in March, the Gripen C and Gripen E share little in terms of common structures and systems, with the only items able to be cross-decked being the windscreen and canopy, the outer elevons, the ejection-seat, the internal gun and conveyor system, and some other ancillary equipment. As such, it was always the case that the contract would need to be amended to reflect this.
It is not thought that this contract amendment will affect the Gripen E delivery schedule of 2018 through to 2026, and the national media reports said that the SEK16.4 billion (USD2.5 billion) price tag for the 60 aircraft remains unchanged.
Besides maintaining the SwAF's frontline fighter strength, the change in the production contract also resulted in freeing up a larger pool of Gripen C aircraft which can be leased to prospective Gripen E customers while they await their new aircraft - this was something that both Switzerland and Brazil had requested. While the SwAF had agreed to both of these countries borrowing some of its Gripen Cs, not much spare capacity was left for it to agree to too many more such requests.
As well as changing the terms of the production contract to new-build platforms, Swedish parliamentarians are also considering an increase in the numbers of aircraft to be procured to 70. The SwAF had originally requested between 60 and 80, and the recent tensions between Russia and Ukraine have refocused the political agenda to national defence.
When the Gripen E serial production contract was awarded, it was dependent on Saab securing a strategic partner. That partner was envisioned to be Switzerland, which selected Gripen E in late 2011 as a replacement for its ageing Northrop F-5 Tiger II fleet. However, a national referendum on the subject on 18 May scuppered the 22 aircraft and CHF2.2 billion (USD2.5 billion) sale with a narrow 'no' vote.
With the Swiss deal now moribund, Brazil looks set to take on the mantle as the programme's strategic partner, as Saab looks to seal an approximately BRL10 billion (USD4.5 billion) deal for 36 aircraft by the end of 2014.
IHS Janes
Ada opsi Setara Grippen E nggak .................
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