Saab Gripen E/F (Gripen NG)

The Gripen E is apparently no longer in the running for the Swiss fighter replacement program:

SAAB put out this press release today: https://saabgroup.com/media/news-press/news/2019-06/saab-not-attending-swiss-flight-tests/

The Swiss defence procurement agency, armasuisse, has formally recommended to Saab not to participate with Gripen E in the upcoming flight tests in Switzerland.
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the Gripen E development plan does not match the Swiss plan to perform flight tests with aircraft that are operationally ready in 2019. Therefore, Saab has decided not to attend the Swiss flight tests in Payerne 24-28 June.
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As Gripen E is yet to become operational, Saab has presented solutions to perform the Swiss flight tests in 2019. An offer to complement the Gripen E test aircraft with an operational Gripen C aircraft for the flight tests in June 2019 has not been accepted by armasuisse.
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The Switzerland MoD have since released this statement, which confirms that the Gripen E will have to be excluded from the competition: https://www.vtg.admin.ch/content/vt...medienmitteilungen.detail.nsb.html/75184.html
Google translate: http://translate.google.com/transla...g-internet/de/home.detail.nsb.html/75390.html

With the non-participation in the flight and soil testing Gripen E leaves the evaluation process. Retrofitting the flight and ground testing at a later stage would contradict equal treatment of all candidates and is not an option.

Since the beginning of 2018, armasuisse has been in regular contact with all applicants and has shown both the process and the criteria. Based on current information and analyzes on the degree of maturity and the integration of the subsystems, specialists from armasuisse and the Swiss Air Force came to the conclusion that several of the planned missions could not be carried out expediently. For this reason, armasuisse Saab has recommended that it withdraw from the evaluation. Apparently, Saab also came to the conclusion in a separate estimate not to participate in the flight and ground trials.

The following four candidates will remain in the evaluation:
• Airbus with the Eurofighter (DE)
• Boeing with the F/A-18 Super Hornet (USA)
• Dassault with the Rafale (FRA)
• Lockheed Martin with the F-35A (USA)
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Aaarff.... I stand corrected. Thanks.
(edited the original post to include the correction).
 
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7568.jpg


Saab annouced on Aug. 28 that it is developing a new decoy missile system, the Lightweight Air-launched Decoy Missile, as part of Gripen’s E/F Electronic Warfare capability.
The company will offer the missile together with the new Electronic Attack Jammer Pod for Finland’s HX fighter procurement program.

It also revealed that the missile has a stand-in jammer that can jam or create false targets for acquisition, tracking, fire control and airborne radars.

http://alert5.com/2020/08/29/saab-announces-lightweight-air-launched-decoy-missile-for-gripen/
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https://www.dsei.co.uk/__media/libraries/aerospace-capability-conference-1/Andrew-Walton.pdf
 
One minor question, what's with the flight of three aircraft? Is that a thing now?
 
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Basically PR by a government whose existence has been hanging by a fraying thread for sometime now. As to why three aircraft, I'd suspect availability issues not necessarily related to the aircraft itself.
 
From the link to the YouTube video posted above :-

"It was a "Missing Man" formation (you see number 3 is missing), of Hungarian Air Force, in tribute to the funeral of the last Hungarian WW2 fighter pilot, who died this year."

A further link HERE :-


cheers,
Robin.
 
robunos said:
From the link to the YouTube video posted above :-

"It was a "Missing Man" formation (you see number 3 is missing), of Hungarian Air Force, in tribute to the funeral of the last Hungarian WW2 fighter pilot, who died this year."

A further link HERE :-


cheers,
Robin.
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Indeed, I didn't read the comments. Here you can see it was actually 3 single seaters.

What I had in mind is the 20 August (national holiday) flyby, which they seem to do regularly. 2018, 2019, with single seaters only and mixed formations.
 
I do think so. Given that both share the same engine, it won't make much difference for them if you start counting all the cost that you would have with adding yet another platform b/w the two (trainee formation, stock of parts...).
They are probably better keeping their old twin seat Gripen until those are too old to be deemed safe and economical. And then only order the T-7 at the best price money can buy on this program (meanwhile 300+ would have been produced for the USAF, 100 for the US Navy (perhaps!) plus all the export models).
 
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TomcatViP said:
I do think so. Given that both share the same engine, it won't make much difference for them if you start counting all the cost that you would have with adding yet another platform b/w the two (trainee formation, stock of parts...).
They are probably better keeping their old twin seat Gripen until those are too old to be deemed safe and economical. And then only order the T-7 at the best price money can buy on this program (meanwhile 300+ would have been produced for the USAF, 100 for the US Navy (perhaps!) plus all the export models).
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Given the fact that Sweden is planning to make 60 (+10) of those E variants, I feel like most of those C/D aircrafts with the similar F404 engines to the T-7 will be mothballed just like how the A/B aircraft were, unless it's utilized in some way. So like how you suggest, it might be better to just continue using those D aircrafts as advanced trainers instead of buying extra T-7s. Let the F model do the LIFT role.

Btw can anyone tell me where all the surplus Gripen A/Bs are at the moment? Excluding what they have leased and so on, there are currently around 80 aircrafts, those probably of A/B variant, not in operation. Sweden thought about using C/D parts from the existing aircrafts when producing E/F aircrafts, although it ultimately never happened. Could it be that they have done that while producing C/D aircrafts in the 2000s? I feel that such case is unlikely though. Maybe they are just resting somewhere in Sweden in mothballed state.
 
Maro.Kyo said:
TomcatViP said:
I do think so. Given that both share the same engine, it won't make much difference for them if you start counting all the cost that you would have with adding yet another platform b/w the two (trainee formation, stock of parts...).
They are probably better keeping their old twin seat Gripen until those are too old to be deemed safe and economical. And then only order the T-7 at the best price money can buy on this program (meanwhile 300+ would have been produced for the USAF, 100 for the US Navy (perhaps!) plus all the export models).
Click to expand...

Given the fact that Sweden is planning to make 60 (+10) of those E variants, I feel like most of those C/D aircrafts with the similar F404 engines to the T-7 will be mothballed just like how the A/B aircraft were, unless it's utilized in some way. So like how you suggest, it might be better to just continue using those D aircrafts as advanced trainers instead of buying extra T-7s. Let the F model do the LIFT role.

Btw can anyone tell me where all the surplus Gripen A/Bs are at the moment? Excluding what they have leased and so on, there are currently around 80 aircrafts, those probably of A/B variant, not in operation. Sweden thought about using C/D parts from the existing aircrafts when producing E/F aircrafts, although it ultimately never happened. Could it be that they have done that while producing C/D aircrafts in the 2000s? I feel that such case is unlikely though. Maybe they are just resting somewhere in Sweden in mothballed state.
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on a related note, surely those A/B variants could be sold no?
I feel there could be a market for those used early gen Gripen.
Botswana, Colombia, one of the Baltic countries, Philippines, etc.
 
helmutkohl said:
on a related note, surely those A/B variants could be sold no?
I feel there could be a market for those used early gen Gripen.
Botswana, Colombia, one of the Baltic countries, Philippines, etc.
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Probably, unless they've though even mothballing those aircrafts are too costly and actually scrapped those aircrafts, which I think is not going to be the case. One possible case though, is that they've used those aircrafts to harvest some components and use it for their operational Gripens. In such case those aircrafts would probably need some refit.

Also, that's what they have done with the lease of 28 aircrafts to Czech Republic and Hugary. They proabably would have anticipated for more countries to be interested in buying those "second hand" aircrafts or lease them but that never realized. Also, those aircraft would probably need several avionics upgrades, for example updating the IFF devices to latest standard.

I still think it's potentially a great value though. Better than FA-50 capability-wise for sure.

I could even see Sweden replacing all their 94 C/D aircrafts with E/F if the leasing becomes a thing once more. Problem is that (I can't remember if it was Czech or Hungary) one of the operators of the leased Gripen complained of its cost. Maybe leasing isn't really that much great of a value.
 
helmutkohl said:
more Gripen E/Fs for Brazil
less KC-390s
https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-...t-kc-390-order-in-half-reports/144019.article
maybe this thread should be renamed Gripen E/F instead of NG now?

what do you think @overscan (PaulMM)
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https://www.globaldefensecorp.com/2021/06/04/brazil-orders-additional-36-gripen-fighters/https://www.airway1.com/brazil-wants-more-gripen-fighters-and-less-kc-390/For those who don't have FG subscription.

Now FAB will operate more Gripen E/F than the Flygvapnet themselves and when they really add the 3rd batch, which is looming on the horizon, they will actually operate more Gripens (108) in total compared to every Gripens the Swedes (max. 100, 98 in reality) operate.

I guess those sweetners the Swedes used durimg the competition is paying dividends?
 
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Finland is making the HX decision by the end of this year (fighter to replace C/D Hornets). Instinctively, I favor the Gripen but I'm not the one to make the decision. I hear the manufacturers are impressed by the selection process. Now, the testing is done and final offers are in - and "they" are running wargames to determine what will have the best fighting capability, on budget. The candidates are: Gripen+2x GlobalEye AEW&C, Eurofighter, Rafale, Super Hornet+Growler, and F-35.
 
perttime said:
Finland is making the HX decision by the end of this year (fighter to replace C/D Hornets). Instinctively, I favor the Gripen but I'm not the one to make the decision. I hear the manufacturers are impressed by the selection process. Now, the testing is done and final offers are in - and "they" are running wargames to determine what will have the best fighting capability, on budget. The candidates are: Gripen+2x GlobalEye AEW&C, Eurofighter, Rafale, Super Hornet+Growler, and F-35.
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What is known about numbers, to date:
Saab: 64x Gripen E + 2x GlobalEye
Boeing: 50x F-18E + 14x EA-18G Growlers
Dassault: 56x Rafale fighters (plausible, but unconfirmed: https://meta-defense.fr/2021/06/07/le-rafale-serait-en-bonne-position-en-suisse/)
BAE: Unknown # of Eurofighters
LM: Unknown # of F-35A planes
 
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