Great collaboration makes great aircraft
The first Swedish Gripen E aircraft flies side by side with the first 巴西ian Gripen. 这不仅仅是一张美丽的图片, it’s a sign of a great collaboration between the countries and between the air forces and industry. Here the 瑞典空军司令 Major General Carl-Johan Edström gives his view of the collaboration and the importance of a fighter that not only beats the opponents of today but also remains operational for decades.
“I am incredibly proud to be 瑞典空军司令 in a nation that manufactures its own fighter aircraft. It is not only something remarkable amongst nations but it also means that I can safely say that we are tactically superior al读y with the system we have today, 鹰狮C / D.
I want to ensure that we are in the same situation in 10, 15 years' time. I want my successors to be able to say with the same confidence that they are tactically superior in any given situation and time. We will be that with Gripen E, but we can not do this alone. That is where the collaboration comes in. We wanted a partner, and we have that in 巴西. These beautiful pictures show just that.
巴西是完美的合作伙伴. Not only that they have the operational knowledge and an experienced aviation industry. They are also part of Gripen's development. They are a partner who, just like us, is long-term in their outlook and commitment. And just like us, they want to build their capacity for the next 20 years and longer. 我对未来非常乐观,Carl-Johan Edström总结道, 瑞典空军司令.
When it comes to the future the Major General refers to, you could say it is just around the corner. The Gripen E/F programme continues to deliver with very good progress while its full speed at the flight test department at Saab. Currently there are seven Gripen E in the air, which are soon accompanied by more. The flight critical part of the programme is more or less completed and Saab is now focusing on the tactical issues, meaning integration and testing of weapons, 传感器等. Joint verification and validation of the first serial 生产 aircraft to the Swedish customer started in 2019. Serial 生产 deliveries will continue this year. The first aircraft to 巴西 has been delivered, having started its flight testing in Linköping, and will later this year continue with flight test operations in 巴西.
巴西 is not the only new test site at which Saab is expanding its flight operation this year. Saab will also transfer a Gripen E aircraft to Malmen airbase in Linköping as part of its joint testing strategy together with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) and the Swedish Armed Forces, as Saab begins to introduce Gripen E to the Swedish customer.
In parallel with these flight test operations, other Gripen E 生产-related activities are at full speed including structural assembly, 安装与总装. This work employs about 1200 employees within Saab Aeronautics and a steady-state 生产 rate of 24 aircraft per year will be achieved in 2020.
The 巴西ian Gripen programme is driving the development of the national defence industry in 巴西. They are involved in the development of structures, 系统, 航空电子设备, 生产, flight testing and training to support, maintain and modernise the Gripen fleet for decades to come. Some of these companies have been included in Saab’s global supply chain for Gripen E/F. This whole process generated one of the largest technology transfer programmes ever carried out for the 巴西ian 空气 Force, and the largest ever done by Saab to another country.
巴西 and its defence industry have a large participation in the development of Gripen F. 总共, 400 engineers are working on the development of Gripen F (the two-seat aircraft), most of who are located at the Gripen Design and Development Network (GDDN) at the Embraer plant in Gavião Peixoto, 圣保罗. 在同一家工厂, the Gripen Flight Test Centre will start to operate later this year and the first aircraft should leave Embraer’s 生产 line in 2023.