S
UPPORTED BY SWEDEN,
Saab has submitted its
proposal for Finland’s
HX ghter competition
to the Finnish defense
procurement agency, the
Logistics Command of the Finnish
Defence Forces. The Saab proposal
comprises 64 Gripen aircraft — 52
single-seat Gripen E and 12 two-seat
Gripen F variants — and is the formal
response to the customer’s request for
quotation (RFQ) issued in April 2018.
Saab’s Gripen o er also includes two
GlobalEye airborne early warning and
control (AEW&C) aircraft.
According to the manufacturer,
Saab is o ering a ‘substantial’
weapon and sensor package as
well as the necessary equipment
and associated services needed for
operating the system, including an
industrial co-operation program with
the aim to build extensive national
capabilities in Finland. It also includes
transfer of maintenance, repair
and overhaul capabilities to localindustry, production of aircraft and an
establishment of a Gripen sustainment
and development center in Finland.
An HX procurement decision
is expected in 2021. The Boeing
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault
Rafale, Euro ghter Typhoon and
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II are
also in the running.
In other Gripen news, Saab will not
be attending Swiss ight tests, after
the country’s defense procurement
agency, armasuisse, formally
recommend the company not bring
its Gripen E to the evaluation in
Switzerland. According to Saab, the
ight tests have been designed to only
evaluate aircraft that are ‘operationally
ready’ in 2019.
The ight tests are part of the ghter
evaluation process that foresees
aircraft deliveries in 2025. According
to a Saab statement: ‘Gripen E will
enter into operational service years
before Switzerland has scheduled
deliveries and will meet all its de ned
capabilities. However, the Gripen Edevelopment plan does not match
the Swiss plan to perform ight tests
with aircraft that are operationally
ready in 2019.’
The Swiss defense procurement
agency invited Saab to submit a
proposal for Gripen E in January 2019.
Since then, however, the armasuisse
expectations for the ight tests
have ‘evolved’. A company o er to
complement the Gripen E test aircraft
with an operational Gripen C for
the ight tests in June was rejected.SAAB DETAILS GRIPEN OFFER TO FINLAND
SWEDISH FIGHTER OUT OF SWISS COMPETITION?
Notably, Saab’s competitors have
showcased capabilities on existing
platforms, di erent to the versions
o ered for delivery. Flight trials
at Payerne air base also included
the Typhoon, F/A-18E/F, Rafale
and F-35A.
Switzerland has a requirement
to replace its eet of F/A-18C/D
Hornets and F-5E/F Tiger IIs. In
January 2019, Saab o ered a
proposal consisting of options for
30, or 40, new-build Gripen Es.
In a previous ghter aircraft
procurement process, Switzerland
selected the Gripen E. However,
it decided to stop its acquisition
of new ghters after a public
referendum in 2014.KC-390 UNDERGOES
TESTING IN ARIZONA
THE US ARMY’S Yuma Test Center
(YTC), in Arizona, is supporting
testing of the Embraer KC-
airlift/tanker aircraft’s aerial delivery
capabilities. Military mission
certi cation of the twin-jet military
transport was carried out at the YTC’sYuma Proving Grounds. In support
of the airdrop testing phase, YPG
personnel rigged all the payloads,
packed parachutes, collected
instrumentation data, photographs
and video, and co-ordinated range
support. Tom KaminskiBrazilian Air Force KC-
PT-ZNG (c/n 39000003)
conducts a test fl ight
over the US Army’s Yuma
Test Center in Arizona, on
April 19. Personnel from
the Yuma Proving Ground
(YPC) supported Embraer
with aerial delivery
testing. US Army YPGWEAPONS
APPROVED
FOR BAHRAINI
F-16V
THE US STATE Department has
approved a $750-million Foreign
Military Sales (FMS) purchase
of air-to-air and air-to-surface
weaponry for Bahrain’s 36 new
and remanufactured F-16Vs. The
package includes 32 AIM-120C-
AMRAAMs, 32 Raytheon AIM-9X
Sidewinders, 20 AGM-84 Block
2 Harpoons, 40 AGM-154 Joint
Stando Weapons, 50 AGM-
88B High-Speed Anti-Radiation
Missiles and 100 GBU-39 Small
Diameter Bombs. Also covered
are components for GBU-10,
GBU-12, GBU-31, GBU-49,
GBU-50, GBU-54 and GBU-
precision-guided bombs.[NEWS] WORLD
20 August 2019 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net
20-23 World News C.indd 20 21/06/2019 13: