STEWART PENNEY /LINKÖPING
Swedish company extends role of local companies in development of multirole fighter
Saab has started manufacturing components for the first Gripen multirole fighter due for delivery to South Africa in mid-2006. It has also increased its industrial offset with South African companies.
South Africa selected the Saab/ BAE Systems Gripen as part of a major rearmament package. The three-part deal included the Gripen in tranches 2 and 3, the former containing nine twin-seat Gripens and the latter 19 single-seaters. South Africa has an option until next March to cancel tranche 3.
Jerker Ahlqvist, Saab programme director South African Gripen, says the development of changes for the South African aircraft has started, as has manufacture of detail components.
Ahlqvist says the first Gripen will be an instrumented test aircraft that will be used for Saab/South African industry final-clearance trials in South Africa. "We are slightly ahead of schedule," he adds.
First flight is scheduled for February 2006, with the aircraft due to move to South Africa in August that year after trials in Sweden. The South African air force should receive it in November 2007.
Production of the first single-seater is not due to begin until the second half of 2007, with hand-over scheduled for late 2009.
The South African version will be based on the export Gripen, with colour displays, in-flight refuelling and NATO-compatible systems. A helmet-mounted display will be integrated, as will South African-specific IFF interrogation, navigation, communications and datalink, says Ahlqvist. South Africa is also known to be integrating the Kentron R-Darter medium-range, radar-guided missile.
As part of the industrial offset programme, personnel from the SAAF and South African companies are working at Saab's Linköping facility. They will form the core of a development centre providing an indigenous Gripen weapons integration, upgrade and modification capability, says Ahlqvist.
As well as developing NATO-standard weapons pylons for the Gripen, Denel Aviation has also been manufacturing two elements of the fuselage. Ahlqvist says the rear fuselage work is being extended to include manufacture of subsection components previously produced in Sweden. A pylon manufacturing order is also expected within weeks.
Source: Flight International
