The Saab Gripen will make its Middle East flying debut at Dubai – with a breathtaking three-aircraft display.
The Gripen team is here in force with a range of senior executives to build on contacts made at the show two years ago, although team members will not say exactly who they are out to impress.
For the first time, Saab display pilot Fredrik Muchler will be using either the single-seat Gripen C or a dual-seat Gripen D aircraft rather than the Gripen A which he has flown at Farnborough and Paris.
Both the Gripen C and Gripen D are fully operational aircraft.
“The time has come to show the latest version, currently in service with the Swedish and Czech air forces,” says Owe Wagermark, communications director with Gripen International.
“This is our largest ever Dubai air show participation and we plan to have three aircraft at the show.
“We plan to participate in the daily flying display with a single seater. The other will be on the static park with a complement of weapons, while the dual seater will be used for special flights.”
Paul Boxwell, vice-president Sales and Marketing with Gripen International, says Saab’s enhanced participation is a result of contacts made at the Dubai 2003 show. He declined to elaborate, citing “confidentiality reasons”.
“Obviously, the Middle East, as a major procurer of defence equipment, is of keen interest to us.”
In addition to its planned aerial display, Saab will also be showing a range of its products and services for land, sea and air. They include command and control, training and simulation and missile systems.
The Saab and Gripen International teams at the show are led by Saab Group deputy chief executive Ingemar Andersson and Gripen International managing director Johan Leander.
Gripen is now in service with the Royal Swedish Air Force and the Czech Republic air force and has been ordered by the South African and Hungarian air forces. It is also in service at the UK’s Empire Test Pilot School.
The advanced Gripen C and D variants feature a range of new system, including air-to-air refueling, On Board Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS), fully-digital cockpit, enhanced smart weapons capability and a new communications suite.
Source: Flight Daily News
