Saab has received an order from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) for the maintenance and provision of resources for development and operational support of the Swedish Air Force’s (SwAF’s) Gripen fighters, the company announced on 30 June 2023.
The total value of the order is SEK 345 M (EUR 29.31 M).
The order from the FMV mainly comprises operations relating to rigs, simulators, and test aircraft for verification and validation of the Gripen fighter aircraft system in its C/D and E iterations, but also covers operational support of the SwAF’s Gripen C/D fleet.
“We look forward to continuing to support our customers by delivering the support they need to optimally conduct their operations,” Lars Tossman, Head of the Aeronautics business area at Saab, was quoted as saying in a company press release.
The work will primarily be carried out at Saab’s facilities in Linköping, Gothenburg, Järfälla, and Arboga.
The SwAF has 71 Saab Gripen C fighters and 23 Gripen D fighter/conversion trainers of 75 and 25 respectively delivered from 2004. Deliveries of the first of 60 serial-production Gripen Es, meanwhile, began in November 2021.
In April 2022 the FMV announced that all of the SwAF’s Gripen C/Ds would be upgraded to keep them operationally relevant until 2035. Forty Gripen C/Ds are to be retained by the SwAF once the Gripen Es have entered service, for a total fleet of 100 Gripens.
Peter Felstead
