Pakistan’s ‘Most Capable’ Chinese-Made J-10C Fighter Jet Gets Mirage-V-Like ‘Green-Blue’ Variant Design Johansson was speaking to reporters at Saab’s headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, on August 26, when he said the ‘Euro-canard’ engine was struggling to meet the export expectations set by its predecessors for the multi-role fighter, noting that this was not a reflection of the quality of the aircraft, but for political reasons. “It’s extremely disappointing, to say the least, and I can say that’s not what it’s about [Gripen] product that we have developed and manufactured. If it was a complete level playing field in terms of not talking about security, politics and other areas, then I think we would be much better off [in terms of securing sales]Johansson said.
The series of failures for Saab
Johansson’s remarks came amid the repeated failure of the latest Gripen E/F range fighter in international sales campaigns against the US fifth-generation F-35 jet. Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab (Twitter) The latest case of Gripen failure was in July, when the Czech Republic opted to buy 24 F-35 fighters, rejecting the Gripen E offered by Sweden, even though the Czech military already has 14 Gripen C/D aircraft acquired from Sweden on lease expiring 2027. Currently, the primary task for the Czech Gripen fleet is air defense, but the growing insecurity of the Czech Republic, particularly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, calls for a more capable fighter. 24 countries from Europe and Asia request Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones. Baykar launches new prototype drone Although Saab’s pitch was more cost-effective, Czech political and military leaders were already leaning toward the American stealth fighter. “Our decision to choose this option is based on the analysis of the Czech Armed Forces, which clearly states that only the most advanced 5th generation fighters will be able to meet mission requirements on future battlefields,” Jana Černochová, Czech Defense Minister. he said. Before the Czech Republic, Canada and Finland chose the F-35 over the Saab Gripen. F-35 Lightning II (via Twitter) Even in Canada’s case, the Saab Gripen could have been a more economical option, and Saab’s proposal promised more local production. However, Canada has a history of flying American fighters for more than half a century, so the decision to go with the Saab Gripen would have marked a major shift in Ottawa’s policy. Even the two other European manufacturers, Airbus and Dassault, which had offered the Eurofighter and Rafale, respectively, for the Royal Canadian Air Force contract, pulled out of the competition before it even began, claiming that the Canadian government’s terms had led competition in favor of their American competitors. Gripen for Canada (Saab) “In many countries, US leverage is enormous. It is not so easy to work against them [in the market]and it’s politics,” Johansson told reporters. He had expressed similar frustration during a full-year results update in February, shortly after Finland also chose the US-made F-35 over the Gripen E to replace its existing fleet of aging F/A-18 fighter jets. “I’m disappointed when it comes to Finland choosing to go the way of the US,” Johansson said during the briefing. “We had an excellent offer in Finland in all respects. I don’t see how we could have done it better.” Saab had offered Finland a package that included two Gripen-E aircraft and two GlobalEye surveillance aircraft based on the Bombardier Global 6000. However, the Finnish government decided to buy 64 F-35 fighter jets and weapons systems in a 9.4 billion contract dollars.
The Gripen was not successful in the export market
The Gripen E/F fighter jets have not been successful since the last contract they secured with the Brazilian Air Force in 2014 following stiff competition that included the Dassault Rafale, Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet and the Eurofighter Typhoon. The reason Gripen was able to win the Brazilian contract was because of the country’s long-standing practice of acquiring aircraft with low operating and lifetime costs. Saab had offered the Gripen at almost half the price of either Dassault’s Rafale or Boeing’s F/A-18. A Brazilian Gripen E in flight (Saab) In addition, Saab reportedly offered a greater level of technology transfer for the fighter than Dassault and Boeing, which was an even more critical factor in helping it close the deal. Brazil had insisted on technology transfers so that the planes could be assembled locally and boost the domestic defense industry and thus how much of the fighter technology the bidder is able and willing to share and how much of it will be built domestically. its border was a decisive factor in awarding the contract. The F-35 certainly has a technological advantage over the Gripen, which must have factored into the decision of countries that chose to go with the American stealth fighter. Gripen’s advantages include low operating costs and lifetime, ease of maintenance and high availability rates. The Swedish fighter has a third of the lifetime cost of an F-35. Also, Saab is more affordable than most manufacturers in offering technology transfer.
