Saab Gripen NGs destined for Sweden and Brazil will benefit from a new Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system developed for integration on the fighter.
A total of 96 of the Finmeccanica-developed IFF systems, plus spare parts, will be delivered over a five-year period beginning in 2017 under the contract, which was signed at the end of 2015 but announced at the show.
System testing of the antenna has taken place at a dedicated facility at Arborgu in Sweden, and the IFF has also gone through initial integration and qualification testing, says Bruce Wigg, campaign manager, Finmeccanica Airborne and Space Systems division.
The transponder being provided for Gripen - the Mode 5 M428 - is also being offered to the UK Ministry of Defence for a NATO requirement for a new standard of IFF, although Wigg could not say which platforms this includes.
Wigg notes that there is interest in the system in the Asia Pacific region, and a number of aircraft programmes will be targeted by the company.
“We're confident in the system and its suitability for the needs of customers in the region; between now and 2019 we have identified a number of candidate platforms for which we will be offering the capability,” Wigg says.
“These include the Republic of Korea's KFX programme and Viking S3 upgrade, and Thailand and Indonesia's future fighter programmes and upgrades.”
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Source: Flight Daily News
