Saab has received an order from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) to support future development of the Gripen system, the company announced on 24 April 2024.
The order, valued at SEK 540 million (EUR 46.4 million) and covering work during the 2024 business year, is an extension of an existing contract and enables continued development of the Gripen system for the Swedish Air Force (SwAF) and other Gripen users around the world.
The order includes operation and support of test aircraft and sophisticated equipment, such as rigs and simulators, that will be used when Saab develops new future capabilities for both the Gripen C/D and Gripen E, as well as for upgrades of existing systems.
When asked by ESD what these specific capabilities might be, officials from Saab Aeronautics declined to elaborate.
“Gripen is designed for continuous upgrades to meet current and future threats,” Lars Tossman, head of Saab Aeronautics, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “Continued development requires sophisticated simulators and rigs that are easy to operate, cost-effective to maintain, and quick to adapt for new capabilities. This order ensures that Gripen will remain at the forefront for a long time to come.”
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.
