Gripen IN - Future is Made in India

THE FUTURE IS MADE IN INDIA

A PRESENTATION OF GRIPEN IN – THE NEXT GENERATION FIGHTER AIRCRAFT MADE FOR INDIA, IN INDIA

GRIPEN MEANS BUSINESS

“THE COMMANDER’S DREAM”

POSTER

INSIDE

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On 15th August �010, even as the peoples of India celebrate the 63rd year of the nation’s independence, midnight oil is figuratively

being burnt at South Block which houses the Defence Ministry of the Government of India, a short distance from Vayu Bhawan, Headquarters of the Indian Air Force. Select officers and officials have been engaged for several years on examining the optimum medium-multi role combat aircraft (M-MRCA) for the Indian Air Force whose selection and induction would augment the depleting force levels of the IAF.

Indeed, the process of evaluation of those aircraft types that the Indian Air Force has focussed upon began many years earlier. The professionals at Vayu Bhawan have since carried out thorough technical evaluation which was followed by flight trials of each of the contenders in their countries of origin as also representative field conditions in India, including landing and take off at Leh, arguably the world’s highest operational air base.

The decisions are nigh. However, this is not merely the choice of a new aircraft type but its impact on the future of self reliance in defence which will be far reaching. Now is the time to take into consideration the myrid of opportunities which this, the largest tender in the world for new fighters, affords India and its endeavour to

The Independent Choicecreate an independent aerospace industry whose capability would be second to none.

In the following pages, attributes of the Swedish Gripen NG (IN for India) are examined, this fourth-generation fighter being promoted as ‘the independent choice’ but one which is nevertheless seen in context of cutting edge technologies, affordability and the overriding factor of consolidating India’s aviation industry into the future.

Pushpindar Singh ChopraThe Society for Aerospace Studies, New Delhi

1-14 Gripen Supplement.indd 2 7/15/2010 12:13:14 PM

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The Commander’s Dream 28Peter Nilsson, former Lt. Colonel of the Swedish Air Force, looks at the Gripen IN’s high operational capability, rapid turnaround and minimal support requirements, providing the Commander with the ability to meet most demanding of operations with minimum resources.

IAF and the Next Generation of Air Defence 22Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar, the well-known test pilot and formerly with the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), examines the geo-political scenario and choice of the M-MRCA.

TopgunsThe Swedish Way 4Professor Prodyut Das recalls the evolution of Sweden’s independent aircraft industry and its relevance in the Indian context.

The Future is Made in India 10‘Aviation’ and ‘Space’ are undoubtedly the most significant technological influences of our time. This essay written by Air Marshal Brijesh D Jayal (retd.) emphasises that the aerospace industry forms the bedrock of national air power, with the need to progress vital issues so as to ensure that the ‘future is made in India’.


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The Swedish WayThe United States, Russia, Britain, Germany, Japan and France have

a legacy of defence engineering experience that has transcended engineering to become part of their cultural heritage. To model

our own aerospace industry on the imperious traditions of these countries is unnecessary, but the absence of such traditions must not become an excuse for failure. Fortunately knowledge has a sedimentary nature. What is the latest, best and top-secret today loses importance and then relevance and finally utility with the passage of time. Sometimes, hard acquired knowledge is found to be useless, sometimes it is irrelevant. There is also the matter of diminishing returns. There is thus no need (nor indeed the possibility) to emulate the heritage of others as a precondition to having our own healthy aerospace industry.

India must look at those countries which have less imperious a heritage in this context. Such search reveals that hoary and immense traditions are not a necessary precondition. It reassures one that what is important is not

the latest and most expensive technology but fair common sense, honesty of purpose and accountability which yields world class results achieved by ordinarily competent personnel within a short time. Essential too is enthusiasm and zeal for the project on hand. Granting these few conditions, quite astonishing results can be achieved with limited resources: there is actually no magic though the results may seem magical. China, Sweden, Brazil and even Taiwan and Korea have demonstrated as to what can be achieved. We will choose Sweden as an excellent model to emulate.

The Saab Viggen


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Which country first put into service a jet fighter with swept wings and an afterburning engine? The first single-seat fighter in service to have an ejection seat for the pilot? The first to have a Mach 2 STOL jet fighter which could be operated from stretches of highway and designed from the outset to be operated in extreme cold weather by conscript personnel and not use the then fashionable and expensively researched VG technology to achieve breathtaking STOL performance? Which was the first fighter aircraft which had computers to reduce the pilot’s work load during landing and in normal flight? The first fighter-bomber to have a bombing computer? (This is by no means an exhaustive list). It is Sweden.

But why choose Sweden? Because, half a world away, half a century back, the processes of birth of the Swedish aerospace industry has relevance for what must become the model for rebirth of India’s aerospace industry. Sweden is a democracy (unlike China). Like India, Sweden is a socialist country, in fact has always been more socialist than us. We used socialism to curb private initiative; the Swedish state was staunchly socialist but avoided areas where professionals of the private sector could do better. The government did not get into the business of making warplanes and weapon systems. It allowed its private sector to do so, the state certainly giving financial guarantees.

Sweden is also very relevant because its industry then (like our private sector at present) had no aerospace background. The Swedish engineering industry went through a painful, but very short, learning phase to become consistent innovators and thought leaders. India’s private sector too can replicate this. Sweden is relevant because, population wise, it is a very tiny country. In our case, we have some aerospace leaders who consistently try to frighten off reforms in this vital sector by saying how difficult it is to meet competition, how difficult it is to have accountability, how difficult it is to have timeliness, how difficult it is to have gain (the litany is long): the message is ‘keep things just as they are’, possibly to maintain their comfortable turfs - we are all human.

The Saab J37 Viggen (service entry June 1971) seen above was the world’s first canard jet fighter and also the first with thrust reverser, one of the earliest with an auto throttle for landing and to use a frameless semi cylindrical windshield which is now so fashionable. 339 Viggens were built. The JAS 39 Gripen coupled tradition with fly-by-wire and composites which by this time had become technologically secure to Saab. The total production of all these Saab fighters exceeded two thousand numbers. The dates of first flight and service entry are of particular interest to us as these were about the time, respectively, that the HF-�� Marut was going into operations and the LCA development just about getting started.

India with its enormous resources, experience with Western and Russian technology and hoperfully, involving mature private sector, is poised to take over and win a great proportion of the potentially massive world market. Once we emulate Sweden’s example!

Prof. Prodyut Das

India with its enormous resources, experience.... is poised to take over and win a great proportion of the potentially massive world market.


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The Next-Generation Gripen, or Gripen NG, is the successor to today’s proven Gripen C/D, an aircraft that is both evolutionary and

revolutionary. Evolutionary because the NG is based on today’s in-service Gripen, the multi-role fighter ordered by five air forces worldwide. With over 130,000 flight hours behind it, Gripen has an indisputable track record for low operational costs and total life cycle costs that feeds directly into Gripen NG.

At the same time, Gripen NG is a revolution because it combines advanced technology and operational effectiveness in an affordable package that no other fighter aircraft can hope to match.

The Gripen NG takes the tried and tested elements of the Gripen design and improves on these. The new aircraft has a more powerful General Electric F�1�G engine with the ability to supercruise. Its redesigned airframe operates at higher weights, allowing more fuel and weapons to be carried. A unique avionics architecture makes weapons and systems integration even easier and quicker. The NG operates with a fully-networked, fully-fused sensor and communications systems that gives it cutting edge capabilities for any mission, from close air support (CAS) to beyond visual

range air-to-air combat. Among the key missions systems that make Gripen NG

such a formidable future fighter are its all-new Selex-Galileo ES-05 Raven AESA (active electronically scanned antenna) radar, developed in cooperation with Saab Microwave. The aircraft is equipped with a Saab Avitronics electronic

warfare system that gives the NG a unique active and passive electronic attack (EA) capability – which adds the AESA to the vital EA mission. The NG is also equipped with a missile approach warning and self defence system, which is unheard of for a tactical fighter aircraft in this class.

Gripen’s advanced cockpit design and sensor suite puts the pilot in total control of the air battle. The aircraft’s unmatched range of air-to-air and air-to-surface precision weapons allows Gripen NG to dominate that battle against all targets on land, at sea or in the air. A video datalink specifically designed for the CAS mission connects the NG directly to ground forces, while its air-to-air datalinks integrate the airborne force and ground control assets into an unbeatable package.

Most importantly, the complete Gripen NG system is controlled by its user, with complete freedom to modify and adapt all of its components to meet national needs, without restrictions or licensing issues. None of the technology embodied in the NG is risky or unproven, but it is unique and sophisticated. All of it is harnessed by a Saab team with a record for on-time and on-cost delivery that is second to none.

Jonas JakobssonExperimental Test Pilot, Saab

The Gripen NG

Gripen NG is a revolution

because it combines advanced

technology and operational

effectiveness in an affordable

package


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The IAF’s Air Power Doctrine (APD), fi rst articulated in 1995, provides the main roadmap “to ensure that the

IAF remains a viable deterrent against its principal potential adversaries.” The doctrine lays emphasis on certain fundamental issues, including the need to accord offensive air operations the same priority as air defence, the acceptance of a reduction in force levels, but compensated by an increase in technology levels, with emphasis on the acquisition of force multipliers and improvements in command, control, communications, computers, intelligence (C41) structures, plus a revamped, modernised air defence and communications network.

In 2007, the IAF reportedly decided to reformulate its doctrine, keeping in mind the need to transform itself into an aerospace power with “potent strategic reach.” This doctrine revolves around the primacy of air power in ‘shaping’ the battlefi eld but it has become necessary to update its plans since globally the employment of air power has seen considerable change and the IAF has inducted a wide array of sophisticated technologies.

Moreover, the new doctrine also factors in the valuable experience gained, especially in beyond visual range (BVR) combat, during joint exercises conducted with technologically-advanced air forces.

Given the range of threats faced and the fact that the assets of the IAF are dwindling, it does make the task of allocating roles more diffi cult. It was only after the 1962 Sino-Indian conflict that a 50-squadron force was mooted, but even today the IAF continues to have an inventory plan of some 39.5 combat squadrons, actual numbers being smaller.

The IAF continues to phase out of its MiG series of combat squadrons and consequently the present strength of the IAF fighter squadrons is down to about 30, with many more older MiG variants lined up for progressive retirement. Even with new acquisitions, India will only have 35.5 fighter squadrons by the end of the 11th Five-Year Plan (2012), and 37.5 squadrons by the end of the

The IAF’s Doctrine

12th Plan. Though the IAF is inducting heavy air dominance fighters such as the Sukhoi Su-30MKI and force multipliers like Il-78 mid¬air refuellers and ‘Phalcon’ AWACS, numbers do matter in the ultimate analysis.

It is interesting to note that the former IAF CAS, Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi, even warned the government that “unless immediate steps are taken to arrest the reduction in the IAF’s force levels, the nation will, for the fi rst time in its history, lose the conventional military edge over Pakistan.” Even though the strength of IAF combat squadrons has temporarily fallen below the authorised level, the IAF needs to project its demand for the future in the light of the increasingly dominant role it would have to play. While technology and weapon-load carrying capacity of the present/future front-line force will offset to some extent the actual numbers of aircraft required, given the multiplicity of roles and the vast extent of frontiers to be covered, a strength of 40-45combat squadrons is considered necessary by 2020. Unless there is a drastic change in our processing methodology, this is indeed a challenging goal for the next 15 years.

Air Commodore Jasjit Singh, Director, The Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS), New Delhi

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While others are talking about situation awareness, the Gripen IN goes beyond.

Situation awareness (SA) involves being aware of what is happening around you to understand how information, events, and your own actions will impact your goals and objectives, both now and in the near future. Lacking SA or having inadequate SA in an air combat situation normally ends with a disaster.

While situation awareness is obviously vital for Net Centric Warfare and execution of combat missions, it is not the real key to success in the information-intensive battlespace of the �1st Century. It is only an enabler.

We agree with the fact that as a fighter pilot you need situation awareness to be able to achieve information superiority. However we do not agree that this is enough. Simple awareness is not enough.

Saab’s Research & Development, which includes close relationship with operations, shows the need to be able to use superior knowledge of the battle space to make decisions and take actions that allow domination of the battle space.

This is where Gripen IN moves to the next level of information superiority: understanding and appreciating the battlespace situation. We call it going ‘Beyond Situation Awareness’.

With leading edge sensor and weapon suites, Gripen IN allows the warfighter not just the ability to collect information in the battlespace, Gripen IN also gives the capability to process, analyse and act on the gathered information.

More than 30 years of experience with airborne data links, a fully digital glass cockpit, a weapon suite second to none, makes the Gripen IN the most flexible multi role fighter in the market ready for the 21st Century battlespace.

Gripen Test Pilot Major Mikael Olsson

Executive Officer of the Swedish Gripen Operational Test and Evaluation Unit

Swedish Air Force

“Beyond Situation Awareness”


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Executive Officer of the Swedish Gripen Operational Test and Evaluation Unit, Gripen Test Pilot Major Mikael Olsson confirms that:

After nearly 10 years of flying Gripen including numerous international exercises, such as ‘Red Flag’ in the USA, I have yet to see a more futuristic cockpit than the Gripen’s.

But we are moving forward. Together with Saab we are building the cockpit for the future. A cockpit which not only gives you Situation Awareness but which supports you in your decisions and actions.

Knowledge itself, without an ability to understand and act upon that knowledge, is not very useful.

We pilots say: with good Situation Awareness you identified the fighter and missile which killed you! With new technologies and ideas in the “Beyond Situation Awareness – concept” you will be the one claiming that kill!

“Beyond Situation Awareness”Cockpit for the Future


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The Future is Made in IndiaLight Combat Aircraft, considered as the ‘fl agship’ national aerospace project when it was launched in the mid-1980s. While the IAF has ordered a token number, it will still be sometime before the IAF can genuinely count on this as a potent war fighting machine. Even as a new powerplant is being identifi ed for the LCA Mk.II, there are reports that the search is on for a partner to develop the indigenous Kaveri engine. The mooted ‘fourth generation’ LCA programme seems to be overtaken by events such as the signing of an inter-governmental agreement with Russia for the joint development of a ‘Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft’. From all accounts however, most of the design and development work has already been completed by the Russians thus rendering questionable the concept of ‘joint development’.

In any event, fifth generation fighters do not come cheap either and perhaps it’s worth pointing out that the USAF is already learning this the hard way. The IAF has maintained that, notwithstanding its component of modern multi-role aircraft, it must maintain minimum combat aircraft strength. As the FGFA programme progresses, the IAF will be faced with similar dilemmas as has the USAF, and it may find no rescuers.

It is in this context that choice of the medium-multi role combat aircraft (M-MRCA), fulfilling the stated requirement of the Indian Air Force, assumes criticality. There are six world reputed companies which have offered their best and latest to the IAF. After an extended and exacting process of technical and flight evaluation, the Air Force is reportedly submitting its report and recommendations to the Government for further progression. It will not be an easy selection, considering the inevitable pressures, not only economic and

Aviation’ and ‘Space’ are undoubtedly the most signifi cant technological

infl uences of our time thus strengthening the thesis that technology of powered fl ight has changed the intellectual landscape forever, with air power diminishing the importance of geography itself as an element of national power.

Independent India’s founding fathers had taken an early initiative to invest in aircraft design and production, exemplified by the HF-24 Marut fighter-bomber of the 1960s, as also the country’s ambitious space programmes. However, owing

to the lack of continuity, foundations of aviation design and development within the country remained largely underutilised, thus denying the country its technology and wealth creating potential. With India aspiring to become a global economic power, it follows that the nation must strive for a cohesive national policy on aerospace power befi tting its global aspirations.

During a recent International Conference on ‘Energising India’s

Aerospace Industry’ held in New Delhi, the Air Chief called upon the government to set up a technology roadmap for the aerospace industry. He also called for a greater role for the private sector in design and development in order to help the Indian aerospace industry become a major player in the global market.

A few examples are relevant, none more than the case of the

The aerospace industry forms the

bedrock of national air power. Its R&D drives technology

and promotes self-reliance and

internationalcompetitiveness,

apart from numerous spin-offs

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operational but certainly also political. It is a given that the Air Force are led by professionals who have undoubtedly taken into account numerous factors in their considered short listing of the future fi ghter type which will adorn IAF markings for the next half century. The M-MRCA will augment the IAF’s combat aircraft inventory which is increasingly being tilted towards the heavier combat end, with near 300 Sukhoi Su-30MKIs on order, half of them delivered. Currently, some 50% of the present combat aircraft strength is composed of obsolescent MiG-21 and MiG-27 variants which perforce must be supplanted in the next decade. The mantra must be to have a new generation multi-role fi ghter which is ‘affordable’ and ‘available’ in large numbers as also ‘operable’ in the varying conditions and terrain that obtains across the sub-continent. Above all, this selected type must become the foundation for future aerospace technology “made in India” and thus must be relevant to the ‘next generation fi ghter’ or medium combat aircraft (MCA) project which has reportedly been initiated by the DRDO.

The aerospace industry forms the bedrock of national air power. Its R&D drives technology and promotes self-reliance and international competitiveness, apart from numerous spin-offs. Potential exports support both R&D and the industrial base thus promoting affordable weapon systems for national security, prestige and influence. While India possesses the pre-requisites for a sound aerospace industry, its contribution to the building of the nation’s air power has not been in keeping with this potential.

The nation must aspire to attain an internationally competitive aerospace industry within a defi ned time frame. It has the necessary infrastructural and human resource but vast fi nancial resources are being spent in support of

its import programmes some of which it expects to be invested internally as direct offsets. What is missing is a national aerospace vision and the institutions and determination to translate that vision into reality. We must search for and get involved with those companies and countries that have a genuine desire to share with us the latest technology developments with ‘no strings attached’ and not merely the transfer of ‘screwdriver’ technology.

It is important that the private sector too should be encouraged to join in the aerospace R&D effort. Indeed the general practice to encourage competition in the initial stages of R&D is healthy for both research and the ensuing results. Funding of aerospace R&D must be ‘generous’. Indeed the IAF, being the lead aerospace agency in the country, must provide handsomely in its budget towards R&D programmes as a long term investment in aerospace science and technology.

Over the last few years considerable national and international interest has been focused on the Indian aerospace market. Much of this is owed to positive policy changes by the government and the huge potential existing here. India’s own aerospace community has benefi ted immensely through participation by experts during conferences, seminars and at air shows. The government must now take the initiative to pilot this huge opportunity into making Indian aerospace an internationally competitive entity. This needs policy direction, organisational and institutional changes.

We now need to ‘fl y’ the talk, to ensure that ‘the future is made in India!’

Air Marshal Brijesh D. Jayal (retd.)

...choice of the medium-multirole combat aircraft(M-MRCA),fulfi lling the stated requirement of the Indian Air Force, assumes criticality

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Mr. CP Gurnani, CEO, Mahindra Satyam and Mr. Åke Svensson, President and CEO, Saab at the announcement of Mahindra Satyam’s collaboration with Saab in Mumbai.

“India is Home Market for Saab”Saab will bid for Indian contracts with local partner

Gripen is the only option that could fundamentally shift India’s defence technology prowess to one that is able to realise its ambition of being an

independent global player.Saab has announced that the company has decided to

make India a ‘home market,’ thereby signaling its intent of long term commitments to investments in India and leveraging India’s manufacturing strengths for exports to world markets.

In addition, the company has announced that it will be bidding for Indian contracts only with a local partner, either through a teaming agreement or as a joint venture.

“From now on we will bid for Indian contracts only with a local partner either by forming a joint venture or through a teaming agreement. We will share technology and localise production. India will be a future home for us,” says Senior Vice President and General Manager Industrial Cooperation, Andreas von der Heide

The formation of long-term and direct partnerships between Saab and local industries is a key factor in delivering successful technology transfer.

“Our transfer of technology (ToT) programme will guarantee India full access to all levels of Saab’s aircraft technology through the transfer of unique and highly

advanced competencies supporting the development of a self-reliant and world-leading aircraft industry,” continues Saab Country Head Inderjit Sial.

A first step in this direction is the collaboration between Mahindra Satyam and Saab, which was announced in November �009. The two companies have already initiated the setup of a ‘centre of excellence’ for net centric warfare that will be a development centre for mission-critical applications and C�I solutions for global opportunities, accessible to either of the partners.

With the backing of the Swedish government and in

close cooperation with Indian industry, Saab is developing industrial cooperation packages tailored to meet India’s strategic priorities and create industrial development and true economic growth.

Saab, which is one of the contenders for the 1�6 M-MRCAs that the Indian Air Force is to acquire, says that for enabling the development of Indian defence capability it is better for the Indian Government to not merely look at offsets which merely propagate short term placement of orders but to widen the base to industrial cooperation as it would imply that Indian companies start collaborating in development of future technologies.

According to Gripen India Director Eddy de la Motte, “The Gripen IN Demo is not just the first step towards a new Gripen – it is driving the development of new technology for existing Gripen customers and for other applications. The Demo aircraft is a platform for technology insertion for the whole Gripen family.”

Saab is able to transfer technology to Indian companies irrespective of, and far exceeding, the offset requirements. It is now creating a home market base across the entire manufacturing chain from systems and product development to a vendor base of component and sub-component manufacturers.


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Campaign Director for India, Edvard de la Motte, or Eddy, is an aeronautical engineer who has seen the Gripen up close since its infancy when, as deputy

chief system engineer of Gripen, he got involved in the introduction of Gripen into the Swedish Air Force. Shortly thereafter, he was appointed chief system engineer of Gripen. He can also articulate the quantum leap that the Gripen IN represents. As the next generation Gripen took its first long ferry out of Sweden to India for in-country trials, Eddy was there with the current generation of engineers who are taking the new Gripen at the forefront of fighter technology. Eddy’s passion for the outdoors which manifests in skiing and sailing, motorcycles and more, got a breathtaking new perspective when he witnessed the Gripen land in the awe-inspiring backdrop of the Leh Air Force base.

How does the Gripen IN fit India’s fighter requirements?India’s threat scenarios are such where it needs a fleet of aircraft that are quick off the ground, have more time in the air, are deployable in large numbers from even road strips, operate at the cutting edge of electronic warfare, pack a punch, are easy to maintain, have a technology shelf life over the next �0 years and have a low life cycle cost that keeps a large fleet operational.

The Gripen is all of that ! Let me explain. The Gripen IN on induction will be the most advanced multi-role fighter in the world. Gripen IN is a version of the Gripen NG next generation fighter, which includes increased combat range and endurance, additional weapons carriage capability and increased payload.

The Gripen IN’s versatile multi-role capability is the key to defeating the threats to India today and tomorrow. Incorporating Next Generation Avionics Architecture and state-of-the-art weapon systems, the Gripen possesses a look-down/shoot-down capability to engage aircraft, missiles, and even the smallest, low-flying targets. The Gripen is very difficult to match in any air combat situation.

The Gripen IN’s “See First – Kill First” capability, a combination of low radar, IR and visual signatures, along with the AESA radar, IR/EO and sensor fusion, including world leading new generation weapon integration, ensures a high kill ratio in long range engagements.

The Gripen IN has the capability with precision-guided weapons to attack and destroy, �� hours a day and under any meteorological conditions. The fully integrated avionic mission system, including an AESA radar, IRST sensor, advanced active and passive EW system, provides superior sensor fusion and decision support capabilities. These together with a missile approach

warner, laser warner, towed decoys and built in jamming capability provide excellent offensive and defensive characteristics.

The outstanding agility of the Gripen IN is achieved through a combination of an advanced aerodynamic layout utilising a combined close-coupled canard- delta configuration and a digital fly-by-wire system. The new, more powerful, General Electric F�1�G engine gives Gripen supercruise capability.

Gripen’s high operational availability, rapid turnaround and minimal support requirements lead to sustained high sortie rates and more time in the air. A wide range of state of the art weapons, can be sourced from manufacturers worldwide, giving the Indian Air Force freedom of choice by avoiding sole source supply constraints.

How does Saab’s proposition for India look in the MMRCA competition? First, it’s an aircraft that will be ahead of all other aircraft in the MMRCA category at the time of its induction, not an aircraft that has been in service for over a decade. Second, Gripen is the only option that will make India completely independent of the need to purchase combat aircraft from other countries. Third, the low operational cost will translate in to more flying hours. Finally, Saab is the only company to not only offer a complete transfer of technology on the source codes, but also joint development.

“Gripen IN will be the world’s most advanced multi-role fighter”

Eddy De La Motte, Campaign Director, India

The Gripen is very difficult to match in any air combat situation


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Meteor-The Game Changing Weapon weapon and a greatly expanded ‘no escape zone’. The key to Meteor’s performance is its throttleable ramjet propulsion system. Unlike a conventional rocket motor, a ramjet sustains power to the very end of an engagement, allowing the missile to chase down and out-turn any aircraft. No matter how tight the target turns the Meteor will always be able to out-manoeuvre and intercept it. A series of flight trials, beginning in 2006, have

already demonstrated the Meteor’s ability to fly well beyond 100 miles at speeds around Mach 3.

Every one of the live fire tests undertaken to date have been conducted by Gripens in the UK or in Sweden. As a result, the Gripen already possesses a functional ‘go to war’ capability with the Meteor missile. Gripen/Meteor integration will be further refined and fully implemented in the Gripen NG. With its AESA radar

and other advanced sensor systems matched with the Meteor, the Gripen NG will have a truly unique level of air combat effectiveness.

Lt. Col. Magnus OlssonSwedish Air Force

The European Meteor BVRAAM (beyond visual range air-to-air missile) is a game-changing weapon for the Gripen NG. Developed by a six-nation

consortium, headed by MBDA and including Saab, the Meteor missile redefines the nature of air superiority in beyond visual range air combat. Put simply, there is no other missile in service or in development that can match the speed, range and lethality that Meteor delivers.

In fact, the Meteor was born from a joint UK/Swedish programme that later expanded to include France, Germany, Italy and Spain. The basic requirement was for a very high-speed AAM that would have at least three times the range of any current

No matter how tight the target turns the

Meteor will always be

able to out-manoeuvre and intercept it


GRIPEN IN FACTS & FIGURES

LENGTH: ............................................................................... 14.1 M

WINGSPAN: ............................................................................ 8.6 M

MAX T/O WEIGHT: ................................................ 16.5 TONNES

THRUST: ..................................................................... 10 TONNES

PAYLOAD: ................................................................. 6.5 TONNES

MAX FUEL: ................................................................... 7 TONNES

SUPER CRUISE: ...................................................... > MACH 1.2

MANEUVERABILITY: .............................................................. 9 G

MAX RANGE: ............................................................... > 4000 KM

LANDING DISTANCE: .................................................... < 500 M

ENGINE REPLACEMENT: ........................................ < 1 HOUR

TURNAROUND TIME: ................................................. < 10 MIN

COST PER FLIGHT HOUR: ........................................ < $ 3000

LENGTH: ............................................................................... 14.1 M

WINGSPAN: ............................................................................ 8.6 M

MAX T/O WEIGHT: ................................................ 16.5 TONNES

THRUST: ..................................................................... 10 TONNES

PAYLOAD: ................................................................. 6.5 TONNES

MAX FUEL: ................................................................... 7 TONNES

SUPER CRUISE: ...................................................... > MACH 1.2

MANEUVERABILITY: .............................................................. 9 G

MAX RANGE: ............................................................... > 4000 KM

LANDING DISTANCE: .................................................... < 500 M

ENGINE REPLACEMENT: ........................................ < 1 HOUR

TURNAROUND TIME: ................................................. < 10 MIN

COST PER FLIGHT HOUR: ........................................ < $ 3000

GRIPEN IN

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Joanna Sjölander, a car buff and mother of a three-year-old, is Gripen India’s in-country campaign director looking after the strategic and operational

requirements that make up a campaign of this scale. Daughter of a Solidarity Union leader from Poland who was expelled during the days of the transformation that inspired and changed the world, Joanna’s adopted country Sweden has given her a deep appreciation of the value that technology plays in a nation’s independence. Working closely with Saab teams from India and Sweden, Joanna is translating into reality her belief that a fighter aircraft sale is not merely about selling defence equipment but a huge opportunity for cooperation between the industries of the two countries.

Are you prepared to transfer all technologies and ‘know how’ (including source codes) to India, to ensure India’s independent operation of Gripen?Yes, we will. Saab has proven experience with Transfer of Technology (ToT), having delivered comprehensive ToT packages to customers such as South Africa.

Saab will provide ToT to not only enable India to produce the Gripen IN fighter indigenously, as required in the RFP, but also the ability to further develop the Gripen IN. A substantial part of the work associated with the manufacture of Gripen IN will be transferred to India.

With regard to offset, what have you proposed in your bid response?Saab together with the Swedish government has committed to working together with India to deliver industrial co-operation programmes that are tailor-made to meet India’s needs.

Our industrial co-operation package offers to Indian defence companies direct involvement in the Gripen continuous development programme. This offset will meet, or exceed, the requirements in the RFP, and will enhance Indian economic growth with future engagement for industry in a wide range of related, as well as non-defence sectors.

Saab has a proven track record in more than 20 countries and has always succeeded in fulfilling its industrial co-operation commitments e.g. in South Africa, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.

How do you see Indian companies working with Saab on the fighter programme?We have identified partner companies who will be working on the Gripen India programme, developing and participating in the future of the platform. On an overall

basis, we are currently working with a number of large Indian companies and we see them as our partners on a long term basis. We see the Indian industry willing to invest, share risk and manufacture products which are globally competitive.

How will India benefit from buying the Gripen from an economic point of view?We believe that defence purchases should no longer be for the buying country a question of capital expenditure but an issue of capital investment. Any fighter development programme has a large civilian technology and economic spill-over. According to a recent study by Professor Gunnar Eliasson, the civilian value created around Gripen was at least 2.6 times the investment over the entire period. This essentially means that if a buying country becomes a partner in the development of such an advanced technological product as a fighter aircraft, the overall economic spillover into civilian sectors is far larger than the capital expenditure.

Simple offsets do not attain those goals and, therefore, we are embarking on replicating our efforts in other countries by working with Indian industry to create products and systems that have a far larger economic growth impact.

Joanna Sjölander, Gripen India in-Country Director

“Defence Purchases should be a matter of investment in the economy, not expenditure”

This offset will meet, or exceed, the requirements in the RFP, and will enhance Indian economic growth

19-25 Gripen Supplement m.indd 19 7/15/2010 12:24:48 PM

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One thing is certain about the future, which is that the future is uncertain! Recent conflicts have shown that there is a growing complexity which

put demands on the way to apply military power. Things one would not believe some years ago are suddenly standard operations. We have seen many new applications of Air Power in recent decades and nothing tells us that this path will end. New and improved technologies will enter the air power arena and we at Saab and Gripen, with leading edge thinking, are committed to keep ahead amongst the best.

In 1957 Saab first introduced the data link in a fighter. Fifty-five years later, Saab still hold that position as the premium creator of Net Centric fighters. In the Gripen IN, a future Indian Air Force pilot will not just be able to take part in the future Indian Defence Network – he will be that node which also makes other network participants even more effective by sharing and offering information and intelligence.

“Futuristic fantasy? Reality for us!”

THE GRIPEN HUMAN MACHINE INTERFACEFLIGHT DATA DISPLAYProvides flight data and system status information about engine, fuel and external stores. It also serves as the Electronic Warfare Display.

HANDS ON THROTTLE AND STICK (HOTAS)HOTAS is used to fly the fighter and control displays and weapon systems during flight and combat.

HEAD UP DISPLAYJust look ahead and you’ll see flight data, steering commands, aiming information, etc. All superimposed on the outside world at all altitudes.

HORIZONTAL SITUATION DISPLAYDirectly in front of you, the Horizontal Situation Display provides navigational and tactical mission data superimposed on an electronic map of selectable scale.

UP FRONT CONTROL PANELProvides the pilot with access to decision support data, navigation data and target acquisition data. It is also the primary communications panel.

MULTI SENSOR DISPLAYHere you see information from the radar and other sensors. Flight and fire control data are superimposed.


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Gripen IN - an important node in the Indian Future Defence Network

“Calling up a fighter”:sharing sensor images within the network.

In the future network, we will not see just different platforms. In that network we will see different kinds of advanced missiles which will be exchanged between participants.

Saab’s weapon data-link network solution supports joint operations and the precision engagement of moving targets through in-flight retargeting, handover between different users, battle damage indication and mission abort. Such implementations support handover of data-link base stations in-flight, enabling joint fire control between the firing unit and forward observer.

The Gripen IN Net Centric approach creates new possibilities for air-ground and air-sea operations in a modern, futuristic Armed Force. Imagine an infantry soldier “calling up a Gripen IN” to increase his ‘Situational Awareness.’ Futuristic fantasy? Reality for us!

Peter NilssonFormer Lt. Col. and Commander of the Swedish

Gripen Operational Test and Evaluation UnitSwedish Air Force

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End of the Cold War and breakup of the Soviet Union created a uni-polar world, with the USA assuming the role of the ‘world’s policeman’

from the mid 1990s. The situation changed with the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the USA itself and commencement of the ‘War on Terror’ in Iraq and Afghanistan. These wars, which have drained the US treasury, plus the economic crisis of September 2008, have however greatly limited the ability of the USA to continue in such a role.

India has meanwhile acquired economic muscle and could increase its military power for protection of its vital interests including those relating to energy security. The Indian Armed Forces are acquiring increasing capability to operate well beyond national borders to protect sea lanes of commerce from the Straits of Hormuz to the Malacca Straits. Protection of its island territories in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea also require attention. Continuing its long tradition of not getting involved in ‘power block politics’, India has to maintain its strategic independence and be prepared for a two-front limited war below the nuclear threshold against nations against which it continues to have territorial and border disputes.

The Indian Air Force will play a dominant role in this scenario and its combat muscle must assuredly be strengthened with new generation fighters that are affordable in relatively large numbers and available for rapid deployment across the vast sub continent. In other words the IAF needs both ‘quality’ and ‘quantity’. The optimum number of combat squadrons required by the IAF has been put at 45, this figure first arrived at by

the JRD Tata Committee set up by the Government of India in 1963. Nearly five decades later, this is the time to meet this vital requirement.

Having decided to induct the heavy air dominance Sukhoi Su-30 in large numbers, what the IAF needs to complement this is a state-of-the-art multi-role fighter of the 15-20 ton class. The rationale for this class of multi-role fighter is that the IAF fighter fleet today has too many single-role fighters like the MiG-29 interceptor, the low level strike Jaguar and tactical air support MiG-27. In the coming

years this fleet will suffer attrition owing to ageing and technological obsolescence. The only multi-role aircraft remaining are the Mirage 2000 and the upgraded MiG-21 Bison, the latter with very limited payload and range. The indigenous Tejas LCA will not be available in adequate numbers for another decade. Hence the ongoing search for 126 Medium-Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (M-MRCA), with possibly repeat orders envisaged.

Protection of national airspace from airborne threats is one of the most important functions of an air force. This requires a multi-tiered air defence network consisting of manned aircraft, long and short range missile systems, radars, communication links, electronic warfare capability and force multipliers like Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) and aerial refuelling tankers. A manned

The IAF and the Next Generation of Air Defence

...hence the ongoing

search for 126 Medium-

Multi-Role Combat Aircraft

(M-MRCA), with possibly

repeat orders envisaged


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aircraft which can perform Beyond Visual Range (BVR) and Within Visual Range (WVR) engagements and also switch to a strike role whilst airborne (‘swing-role’), which will give IAF planners a never before available degree of flexibility. The unique attribute of air power is the ability to concentrate decisive strength in time and space which can then be exploited to the maximum extent possible to achieve military objectives. For the very first time since the establishment of the IAF in 1933 such an aircraft will be available when the M-MRCA enters the IAF fleet in quantity. Finally, the IAF will have credible air power to react to a two front war situation.

The debate about the merits of twin versus a single engined fighter has never been satisfactorily resolved. However what is certain is that the life cycle cost of ownership of a twin-engined fighter will be significantly higher than that of a single-engined one. In addition to low cost of ownership, good serviceability, low maintenance and logistics footprints and the desired net centric operational capability are what is required. Finally whichever aircraft is acquired, the IAF should be able to

employ this force against any country which threatens Indian interests without compromise or being held hostage by the country of origin of the aircraft. Total transfer of manufacturing and technology, meeting offset commitments and providing software codes unconditionally will be an essential prerequisite for the IAF.

In a general overview of the options amongst the six contenders for the M-MRCA contract, the Swedish Gripen NG is seen as being perhaps the only aircraft type which will deliver all that the IAF needs for the M-MRCA, including the vital requisite of maintaining strategic independence and at an affordable cost.

Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar (retd.)

The Swedish Gripen NG is seen as being perhaps the only aircraft type which will deliver all that the IAF needs for the M-MRCA


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“ The Investment in Gripen’s development has been paid back at least 2.6 times over ”

Large, sophisticated and complex industrial development projects always require that a number of technological problems be solved along the

way. All advanced production is therefore surrounded by a “cloud of new technology”, so called technological spillovers, that are available to other fi rms in proportion to their ability to capture and commercialise them. Military aircraft development projects belong to the most advanced of these.

In a recent study, Gunnar Eliasson concludes that the development investment of the Saab Gripen has been returned to Sweden in the form of additional social value creation, or economic growth at least 2.6 times over. This is in creation of new industrial knowledge during a military project that has made additional civilian production possible, which would not have come about in the absence of the military project.

In his new book Advanced Public Procurement as Industrial Policy – The Aircraft Industry as a Technical University, Professor Gunnar Eliasson illustrates through case studies how this has been possible and how the new technologies created during the course of development of the Saab Gripen system, have been diffused through the Swedish economy and formed the technological base for new civilian production programmes.

Gunnar Eliasson emphasises two particular circumstances

Gunnar Eliasson, Professor Emeritus in Industrial Economics/Dynamics at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm and Senior Researcher at the RATIO Institute and at the Swedish Entreprenurship Forum, Stockholm, Sweden.

for this positive outcome for the Swedish economy. First, he emphasises the role of a competent customer, in this case the Swedish military procurement agency the FMV for maximum civilian spillovers for each krona invested development. Second, he carefully elaborates the important role of local entrepreneurial or commercialising

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the situation expected to come. At that time Sweden was an industrialised nation, but not a leading industrial economy.

As a not planned for, but positive side effect, the Saab company has been an impressive technology generator that has helped to catapult Swedish manufacturing industry to several leading positions in the postwar period. Part of the spillovers have been picked up and successfully commercialised in other companies within Saab, but the most important success stories have occurred outside the Saab Group.

One of Gunnar Eliasson’s themes is that advanced product development not only distinguishes itself by being surrounded by a “cloud of technology spillovers” available to external users in proportion to their competence to commercialise them but also that Swedish aircraft industry, the core of which is Saab, has functioned as a ‘technical university’ for Swedish industry at large.

An industrial cooperation programme therefore delivers benefits far in excess of the investment negotiated in the contract. With some $100 billion defence purchases being planned by the Government of India, by that yardstick, over $260 billion of additional civilian spillover benefits stand to be earned. With such economic stimulus, India will not only see a fundamental shift in defence technology but experience a cascade of economic benefits by which defence development projects would actually be paid back to society.

competences in the economy, to maximise the exploitation of such ‘cloud of technology.’

Investigating the macro-economic significance of the “cloud” of technological spillovers that surrounds advanced industrial product development, Professor Eliasson says, “I have investigated such spillover generation around development of the Swedish combat aircraft Gripen aggregating case study data on identified civilian spillovers from that development project. Most of the spillovers have been captured and commercialised by the firms directly involved in Gripen development (Saab, Volvo Aero and Ericsson), others by outsider firms.”

“I have found that the civilian values created around the Gripen, net of opportunity costs and cumulated for the entire period, divided by the R&D investment, similarly cumulated (the spillover multiplier) is at least 2.6. This means that the development investment has been returned to Swedish society at least 2.6 times over in the form of additional economic growth,” concludes Professor Eliasson.

According to Professor Eliasson, “All advanced firms engage in joint production when developing new products. They develop a double product; the product really procured and developed plus the cloud of spillovers, available to other firms for free, the value of which to the local economy is proportional to their ability to commercialise them.”

Swedish Aircraft industry was started as part of the Swedish defence effort in the 1930s, in preparation for


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‘Roar of the Gripen ...’Flying Sweden’s Top Gun fighter

When most people think about Sweden ... they think ... may be ... beautiful countryside ... the extreme cold ... Abba ... perhaps Santa Claus ...

rearm and take off in less than ten minutes but with aerodynamic and braking advances, it does this without the use of a reverse thrust system.

When I was offered the opportunity to ride back-seat in a Gripen D a few years ago, it was very much a dream come true. We were planning an ambitious series to air on our channel NDTV 24x7 called The Jet Set and I was not terribly optimistic that the Swedes would be willing to open up their most advanced fighter to us. Few civilians not linked to the Gripen programme had even seen the jet and there was no set procedure in place for Saab to get me permission to get a ride on one. Fortunately though, the folks at Saab were able to convince the Swedish Air Force and the Swedish government to grant me permission for a one off sortie for which an Air Force Gripen D was positioned at Saab’s facilities at Linköping.

But before I could get into the Gripen, I would need to check out various systems in a Gripen dome simulator in addition to being given a full safety briefing. My pilot for the sortie, Major Johan Sjöstrand, a test pilot with Saab, took me through the paces on the simulator.

To be sure, I am not a pilot, just a ‘flying journalist’ and aviation enthusiast lucky to have flown more than a dozen sorties on fighters. I also have significant hours logged on Microsoft Flight Simulator X, perhaps the most advanced simulator commercially available for PCs and while that isn’t a patch on the real experience of being a pilot, its enough to give an enthusiast an authentic feel. To that end, flying the Gripen dome simulator wasn’t very difficult once Johan started up the jet! Most impressive was the landing performance of the fighter ... as easy as point, engage auto-throttle and land. I didn’t for a moment believe the simulated landing performance of the jet would be the real thing. I would be pleasantly surprised.

Being kitted out was next on the cards and unlike the overall-G suit combo on other jets, I would be required to wear an immersion suit in the event that we needed to bail out over the cold seas around the Swedish archipelago. The Gripen g-suit is a comprehensive piece of kit. In addition to the inflatable waist and leg component of the g-suit, there is also an inflatable bladder over the pilot’s chest with a forced air feed into the mask of the pilot to better deal with the effects of high g-manoeuvres.

That done, it was time for a quick briefing and then on to my ride. Johan drove me to the Gripen in style, in his personal Saab 9-5 - it’s a gorgeous car but the jet we drove to was even more gorgeous!

It was very much a dream

come true

It’s not often that people outside Sweden know about the role of Saab in manufacturing state of the art military aircraft spanning several decades. In fact, Saab has been building aircraft since 1937

and some of the jets they have produced including the Draken and the Viggen have been widely considered the finest in the world in their class. Some of the engineering solutions the Swedes came up, given their own tactical requirements during the Cold War, remain cutting edge till this day. The JAS 37 Viggen had the ability to use reverse thrust before landing enabling the use of narrow roads constructed in Sweden which doubled as wartime runways. Today, the JAS 39 Gripen retains the ability to land on roads deep in the hinterland, then refuel,


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After start up, we taxied out from the Saab base in Linköping, lined up for take off and almost blasted off with Johan slamming on the burner. We went straight into the vertical pushing 5g before settling down to a high speed - low altitude sortie off the Swedish archipelago.

This would be the most exhilarating sortie in my life. As we raced across the skies literally skimming the surface of the sea, we rapidly approached a large cargo carrier which we flew alongside before going vertical again. With altitude now on our side, Johan handed over controls to me warning me that the controls were super sensitive. A snap roll to the left with little effort on the stick followed by some steep left and right banks took me to 7g in no time at all. The Gripen’s stick, though not pressure actuated in the same manner as the stick of the F-16, takes the jet to 7g after which a warning chime

down, all the pilot essentially does is guide the jet to a pre-selected touch down point on his HUD. The moment the jet lands, the canards and brakes activate and the jet lurches forward violently to decelerate in a few hundred metres.

Quickly moving the fighter off the runway, Johan stopped the jet and demonstrated hot refuelling where we picked up fuel and simulated rearming the fighter without actually switching off the engine. In minutes, we were ready to depart and repeat our sortie briefly. This time, Johan demonstrates different modes of the radar. Sure, this wasn’t the Selex Vixen AESA that the Gripen Demo prototype uses,

This would be the most exhilarating sortie in my life

sounds. Punching through the 7g barrier means applying considerably pressure on the stick but the jet responds instantly. This is well and truly a 9g fighter, as manoeuvrable as any non-thrust vectored jet.

After a brief avionics session, where Johan demonstrated the moving map display and set up the MFD to demonstrate how data links work, it was time to head back to Linköping to showcase a quick refuel, rearm and take off sequence.

As we approached the base, Johan said he would demonstrate the full braking capability of the jet. Unlike many other fighters, the Gripen features nose wheel brakes in addition to additional braking provided by the canards which act as large spoilers on touch down. It’s all a pretty straight forward process. With the auto-throttle engaged, and the jet set in landing mode with the gear

but the performance of the Gripen C/D’s Ericsson PS-05/A radar is comparable to the best of the West with a fairly robust long range pick track and scan capability.

Soon though, its time to call it a day. Two sorties rolled into one courtesy the hot refuelling would be enough for the purposes of our documentary shoot and the footage we picked up was quite spectacular. Later that evening over drinks and dinner, I am given a Gripen patch and an ‘Order of Gripen’ verse, given only to those privileged enough to fly Sweden’s top gun.

Vishnu Som is Senior Anchor and Associate Editor with NDTV. He has flown on 4 of the 6 fighters competing in the M-MRCA programme in addition to several other fighters, transports and helicopters with Air Forces around the world. He wrote this for Vayu Aerospace & Defence Review.


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First and foremost, the very raison de ’etre of having an Air Force is to generate air power to defend its nation and secure its interests. The Air Force

concept of operations includes air operations from air bases, protecting those bases, working cooperatively with the other Services, allies, coalitions and security partners.

commander disappointed! Ten minutes on the ground for 180 minutes in the air. No one can challenge Gripen on that, which gives the expression “Fighters do the no good on the ground” an entirely new meaning!No one likes to speak about costs, especially not the competition. As a Commander, one unfortunately has to

The Commander’s Dream

The very most important factor in generating air power is systems reliability and availability. Gripen IN is made for flying! While many other platforms require extensive maintenance to fly every mission, Gripen is designed and built to minimise maintenance times on the ground. Together with the fact that other fighters normally have a failure rate of just 2-5 hours between flights, the Gripen flies normally nearly eight hours between failures which allows a Commander having the Gripen with twice as much assets in the air compared with other fighters. Extremely rapid turnarounds, meaning the time for refuelling and rearming between sorties, gives Gripen IN a leading position in generating air power. Ten minutes to refuel and rearm Gripen IN will not leave any

consider costs. In the end there is a price to be paid for capabilities. You have to consider not just the acquisition of a system, weapon or a sensor but also the costs to train people on the new system and support of the system over its lifetime. With fighters we normally talk about at least a 30 − year lifecycle, which with 200 flight hours per year comes to around 6000 hours per aircraft. Thus the Indian Air Force will fly more than 700,000 hours with a six squadron Gripen fleet through their lifetime. Operating costs are as important as acquisition costs!

Gripen IN achieves the lowest operating cost of any modern fighter, with no one near it when comparing operating costs. Gripen’s flight hour cost is less than $ 4000. A number you would have to multiply with at least eight to find out the flight hour cost of the


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competition. Gripen’s extremely low flight hour cost is accomplished by combining advanced system design and modern commercial off the shelf (COTS) components with the highly reliable and powerful General Electric F414G engine.

Gripen IN’s high operational availability, rapid turnaround and minimal support requirements enables sustained high sortie rates providing Commander’s an ability to meet the most demanding of operations with minimum resources.

The Gripen IN’s capability of operating from small and dispersed airfields (or even roads) gives the Commander enormous flexibility. Imagine having the possibility to deploy your fighter assets close to the borders or area of operations instead of being forced to use far in-land bases. This shortens reaction times, increases endurance over the area and also gives an advantage of surprising the adversary. Just locate an 800 metre long and 10 metre wide tarmac road and the Gripen IN will be operational.

Like military commanders the world over, an Indian Air Force Commander will focus on having a flexible and adaptable force that can be employed over a range of military operations. The ability to conduct various operations from peacekeeping to high-end warfighting has to be developed to meet new challenges and threats, which gives India the options for using its Air Force to shape, deter and respond to the strategic environment in its interest. Saab’s Gripen IN will be a partner of the Indian Air Force Commander’s daily operational task of generating air power, a perfect match with current and future Indian Air Force assets. The Gripen IN will not disappoint anyone - except maybe the Indian Air Force’s future adversaries.

High operational tempo with flexible basing Saab’s Gripen IN will be a partner of the Indian Air Force Commander’s daily operational task of generating air power

Major Hans EinertFormer Squadron Commander, Air Combat Development Unit

Swedish Air Force


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Normally two-seater fighter aircraft are designed as operational conversion trainers with the instructor pilot at the back and the student in the front. This is

not the case with the Gripen IN. The Gripen IN two-seater is much more. It is a true Force Multiplier, increasing fighting

Synergetic Air CombatLeading Unmanned Combat Airborne Vehicles

Strike package: Gripen NG and Neuron UCAV

Lt. Col. Peter Nilsson,Former Lt. Col. and Commander of the

Swedish Gripen Operational Test and Evaluation Unit

Swedish Air Force

capabilities. The two-seater is identical with the single seater in terms of avionics, sensors and payloads, so what you can do in a single seater you can do in a twin seater.

However, as to whom will sit in the back seat is up to the operator. Different customers consider a wide spectrum of specialists in the back seat. Saab is building the back seat cockpit with a flexible approach. Some Air Forces will put a Mission Commander in the back seat to lead the strike package. Others will put an Electronic Warfare or Reconnaissance specialist in the back seat. Having a Mission Commander in the back seat commanding the fighting element is a very interesting concept. By adding the Gripen’s Network capabilities, we suddenly have the possibilities to share sensors within the fighting element.

Perhaps the most futuristic concept with the two-seater Gripen IN is the possibility for it to lead UCAVs (Unmanned Combat Airborne Vehicles). Saab AB will launch the NEURON at the beginning of this decade together with partners and one can be certain that during the M-MRCA operational service, there will be UCAVs flying alongside manned-fighters. The synergetic package of Gripen INs and UCAVs will bring unthought of capabilities and applications of Air Power.


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Synergetic Air CombatLeading Unmanned Combat Airborne Vehicles

Saab’s India country head is at home in the rarified world of high technology aviation programmes, having been associated with Boeing, British

Aerospace and Airbus. With a long relationship with Sweden and Swedish industry, Inderjit has taken the lead in Saab’s most compelling proposition in any defence procurement programme: industrial cooperation. Working closely with the Saab team, Inderjit has forged strong relationships between Saab and Indian industry across the entire range of Saab’s portfolio and interest in Indian programmes. As Saab offers its high-technology products to the armed forces in the spectrum ranging from advanced camouflage gear to sophisticated radar and tank and helicopter anti-missile interception systems, Inderjit helps drive the Saab product, promise and intent of developing a joint manufacturing base.

What is Saab’s India gameplan?For Saab, India is now deemed as a home market. What that means is long term commitment to investments in India and taking advantage of India’s manufacturing skills and cost structures to the world.

Equally important, for all major future programmes, we will partner an Indian company either through a teaming agreement or through a joint venture. We will share technology with these companies, localize production and offer it to both Indian and global customers.

We believe that these will deliver large benefits to Saab as much as it will to Indian companies. For one, by bringing our production to India, local adaptation will be easier and faster by being closer to our customers here.

For us, India is more than a market. It is one of Saab’s home bases and, therefore, the focus is not simply on winning bids but on building business in partnership with reliable Indian partners across the entire hierarchy of manufacturers, all the way from strategic partners to sub-component suppliers.

Saab is looking at the Indian Industry as their potential partner in product development for the world market. We believe that the Indian Industry has the necessary capability and can absorb the state of the art technology for manufacturing world class products.

What is Saab’s appreciation of the offset requirement?Offsets are a fact of defence sales today anywhere in the world. They are legal commitments and must be met. Saab has never failed an offset obligation and we are fully confident that we will be able to fulfil the demanding offset commitments.

However, we believe that while offsets do meet the requirement of a return on expenditure for a country, it is not adequate in developing an industrial base in the purchasing country because companies shut down and move on once offsets are met.

Saab believes that offsets must transition to industrial cooperation to create a sustainable industry that enables the purchasing country to deliver to an economic need.

In the case of large acquisition programmes like the M-MRCA, Saab believes that the net result should be the creation of a defence industrial base that will ensure that the country does not need to look out for its future fighter requirements.

What opportunities are Saab pursuing in India?Saab has a wide portfolio of products and we are in dialogue with the armed forces and homeland security forces for a whole range of sophisticated equipment, including camouflage, battle management systems, advanced surveillance and foliage penetrating radars, naval and coast guard systems, Integrated Defensive Aids Suite (IDAS) for the Indian Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv, Land Electronic Defense systems, multi-mission surveillance systems, among others.

Inderjit Sial, Country Head

“We would like to be seen as an Indian Company”

Saab believes that offsets must transition to industrial cooperation to create a sustainable industry that enables the purchasing country to deliver to an economic need


gripen – the independent choice

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Gripen IN - Future is Made in India

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