Saab Gripen news

[loke]

"We will stick according to the plan and deliver the first two aircraft to the Brazilian air force and Swedish air force next year," says Saab chief executive Håkan Buskhe. "Things are going according to plan," he said while discussing the company's financial results for 2017 on 16 February.

"Test and evaluation of the first [prototype] aircraft is going extremely well. We are getting better-standard data than we had anticipated," Buskhe says. A second prototype will join its fleet by the end of this year.

Full story: https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... ss-446054/

[loke]

Denel Dynamics is successfully using an aircraft-mounted testing pod to cost effectively and quickly develop its missiles, including the A-Darter and Marlin.

Denel’s Jaco Botha, speaking at a recent South African Radar Interest Group (SARIG) conference, said that one of the greatest benefits of the pod is that it saves the enormous expense of having to integrate a missile onto an aircraft. The pod is also able to function as a flying laboratory, and can measure and record data.

The pod was initially used to test the A-Darter fifth-generation infrared guided missile, which will have been delivered to the South African Air Force by 2020, and was integrated onto the Gripen in association with Saab. It is now being used to test the radar sensor used by Denel Dynamics’ Marlin technology demonstrator.

Botha said the pod includes a controller, power supply, telemetry downlink and uplink receiver, radios to communicate to the aircraft, and recording systems. It can test things like infrared and radar seekers, optical equipment and electronic warfare systems. Sensors can be either forward or backwards looking.

Full story: http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?o ... Itemid=204

Interesting concept.

[hornetfinn]

I think this kind of pods have been used for some time (like 30 years):
https://southernresearch.org/wp-content ... d-size.pdf
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c02a/7 ... 2bfcf7.pdf

It sounds like this is just a modern version of the concept. Definitely worth doing and helps development a lot, I bet.

[white_lightning35]

The pod was initially used to test the A-Darter fifth-generation infrared guided missile, which will have been delivered to the South African Air Force by 2020, and was integrated onto the Gripen in association with Saab.

It appears it is fashionable to attach the label fifth-generation to everything now.

[loke]

On the RBS15 NG:

However, the Swedish Air Force had other thoughts, and had a requirement for the weapon to be lighter to allow four missiles to be carried simultaneously by the upcoming 39E Gripen. The result was the RBS15 ‘Next Generation’ (still lacking an official designation, though Mk4 wouldn’t come as a surprise), which is an upgraded Mk3 with a lighter launch weight, longer range, and generally improved performance.

https://corporalfrisk.com/2018/04/28/rb ... eneration/

So it seems the Swedish Air Force is indeed planning to carry up to four RBS15 NG anti-ship/land attack on one Gripen E.

[loke]

Saab's annual Gripen seminar will be - on May 16:

http://saab-seminar.creo.se/180516/annu ... minar_2018

[loke]

Saab has been awarded SEK224 million (USD26 million) to upgrade systems on the Swedish Air Force (SwAF’s) fleet of Gripen C/D combat aircraft.

The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) contract, announced by the company on 23 May, involves enhancements to the current MS20-configuration, which was rolled out in 2016.

Specifically, improvements will be made to the aircraft’s ‘central capabilities’, including the target acquisition, self-protection, communication, and human-machine interface systems, as well as a number of key support and training systems.

The work will be carried out at Saab’s facilities in Gothenburg, Järfälla, Linköping, and Arboga, with deliveries to take place between 2018 and 2020.

The SwAF fields 73 single-seat Gripen C and 24 twin-seat Gripen D aircraft that have all be upgraded to the MS20 standard (the final such block for the Gripen C/D). Essentially a software package, MS20 includes integration of the MBDA Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile and BoeingGBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb I; improved radar modes; a digital close-air support capability; increased Link 16 connectivity; civil navigation enhancements; chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) protection for the pilot; night-capable operations using the SPK 39 Modular Reconnaissance Pod II; and a ground collision avoidance system (GCAS).

Read more: http://www.janes.com/article/80248/swed ... ripen-c-ds

Seems the Gripen C/D will be kept up-to-date for the next few years...

[loke]

So far, no delays since the first flight almost one year ago:

We are preparing for the next phase of flight trials – that is, external stores, said Jonas Hjelm, Head of Saab aeronautics at the recently held Annual Gripen seminar.

So far, all the milestones under the Gripen Brazil programme, like the launch of GDDN and SAM and the first flight of Gripen E, have been right on schedule.

“Since the first prototype's flight debut in June 2017, the programme has remained on track, with recent milestones including achieving supersonic flight,” he added.

http://www.gripenblogs.com/Lists/Posts/ ... px?ID=1902

[loke]

Saab test pilot explains about the new display in Gripen E:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-4i9pC4VWc

[loke]

Swedish company Saab has said it will begin flight tests for a new jamming pod by the beginning of next decade, as it eyes a growing requirement from several air forces for organic electronic attack capabilities.

‘The maturity of this technology is quite high due to the fact that we have reused several building blocks from the Gripen E, including the [digital radio frequency memory] and AESA technology we already have.’

Meanwhile, Saab is on track to begin testing EW systems onboard its new Gripen E this year as part of continuing flight trials for the Swedish fighter.

Testing of the Multi Functional System-EW (MFS-EW), which consists of radar warning receivers and electronic countermeasures, will carry on into 2019 when the first delivery of the Gripen E is planned.

A test programme will likely include radars illuminating the aircraft to test the platform’s radar warning receivers, eventually leading to the aircraft emitting RF energy from its high-powered electronic countermeasure system.
The Gripen E/F’s EW suite utilises several new technologies including ultrawideband digital receivers, gallium nitride, high-powered amplifiers and active electronically scanned array jammers. Electronic protection is provided in the frequency band ranging from 0.5GHz up to 40GHz.

https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/digi ... -pod-2020/

Is this frequency range common in integrated EW systems in fighters like SH, Typhoon, Rafale, F-16 block 70?

[hornetfinn]

0.5 to 40 GHz is pretty wide frequency range, but not unique. AFAIK, EF Typhoon has 0.1 to 18 GHz coverage and some sources give it 0.1 to 40GHz in latest upgrades. For example the IEWS in F-16 Block 60 has 0.5 to 18 GHz coverage with growth potential to 0.1 to 40 GHz. Dassault Rafale Spectra is said to cover 2 to 40 GHz, but some claim lower low end coverage. Super Hornet AN/ALQ-214 is said to cover 1 to 35 Ghz.

Of course overall coverage alone is not very important, although naturally it helps. The system also needs to have wide bandwidth, high sensitivity. good resolution and accuracy and short response time. For example 0.5 to 18 GHz system would cover almost all potential threat systems and it might actually be superior in real life to system that would have 0.1 to 40 GHz coverage. There are only handful of systems in the whole world that such a system would not cover. Of course wider coverage is nice to have if it doesn't affect other qualities of the system.

[loke]

Gripen E has fired the first missile:


https://saabgroup.com/media/news-press/ ... -gripen-e/

The programme is on track, and we are making good progress in the programme towards delivery to our Swedish and Brazilian customers”, says Jonas Hjelm, Senior Vice President and Head of Saab business area Aeronautics.

Although not directly related to Gripen it is still interesting to note that:

Saab Receives Order for AESA X-band Fighter Array

from the US Government!

https://saabgroup.com/media/news-press/ ... ter-array/

I wonder what this is for!?

[popcorn]

Not necessarily for an airborne application.

[SpudmanWP]

I wonder what this is for!?

Foreign Comparative Testing Program

Award was made to Saab Defense and Security USA, LLC for a research and development effort for the Office of Naval Research and the Office of the Secretary of Defense Foreign Comparative Testing Program under the authority of FAR 6.302-1 and DFARS 206.302-1 for an X-Band Active Aperture Array Radar prototype.

https://www.fbodaily.com/archive/2018/1 ... 118507.htm


What is the "Foreign Comparative Testing Program"

The Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) program is to test items and technologies of our foreign allies that have a high Technology Readiness Level (TRL) in order to satisfy valid defense requirements quickly and economically. FCT continues to be a uniquely successful acquisition tool from a U.S. government-to-foreign industry standpoint. Since 1980, the FCT program has helped to foster the two-way street in defense spending between the U.S. and its allies through the procurement of more than $5 billion in foreign items. The program has reaped substantial savings by avoiding research and development costs, lowering procurement costs, reducing risk for major acquisition programs and accelerating the fielding of equipment critical to the readiness and safety of U.S. operating forces.

The FCT program has served as a catalyst for industry teaming arrangements, which have been productive for both U.S. and foreign industries in an increasingly competitive global market, helping to build a robust U.S. defense industrial base. Foreign items are nominated by a sponsoring organization within the Department of Defense for testing in order to determine whether the items satisfy U.S. military requirements or address mission area shortcomings. The OSD Comparative Testing Office funds testing and evaluation; the Services fund all procurements that result from a successful test. Additional information on the FCT program can be found at the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Comparative Testing Office (CTO) BIDS website: https://cto.acqcenter.com/osd/portal.nsf.

More at the jump
https://www.onr.navy.mil/en/Science-Tec ... esting-FCT

[mixelflick]

I'm confused what SAAB's value proposition for the Gripen E is?

It's expensive.

It isn't stealth.

It can carry a lot of weapons, but not very far

It can fly far, but not with many weapons.

It does have (or at least looks to have) a very powerful EW suite

So at the end of the day you have a little fighter that wants to do everything, but can't. Unless you're a tiny country only interested in defending your borders, I don't see how it fits the need of India, Canada, the UAE etc.

What am I missing?