Gripen Offers Complete Technology Transfer In Bid To Win Indian Air Force MRCA Contra

[foxhound]

Salaam!

News Update:

Gripen Offers Complete Technology Transfer In Bid To Win Indian Air Force MRCA Contract

Ref:http://www.india-defence.com/reports-3391

Dated 2/7/2007

Even as the government is finalising ground rules for acquisition of 126 multi-role combat aircraft at a cost of $10 billion, Swedish company Gripen has indicated that it was willing to provide full transfer of technology and offer integration of its aircraft with all weapon systems available across the world.

The move comes at a time when the government is expected to come out with a request for proposal (RFP) for the mega deal.

American, French and Russian companies are also in the race for supplying multi-role combat aircraft to Indian Air Force. Gripen International has indicated to the Indian authorities that its product would be cheaper than other comparable aircraft in terms of life cycle cost – or cost of acquisition plus operations.

We understand that life cycle of a defence aircraft in India could even extend to 40 years and that makes our position strong, said Mr Tony Ogilvy, Gripen International’s director in India. Our aircraft are designed to last for decades and what we would offer to India is the second generation Gripen with updated facilities, he added.

"Our aircraft are suited for integration with all advanced weapon systems available in the world, including missile systems provided by the US and Israel," Mr Ogilvy said. The company has already made efforts to familiarise the Indian Air Force with its aircraft and is keenly looking forward to the request for proposal (RFP) that the government is finalising.

"Training of pilots for our aircraft is simple and the time-frame depends on the role for which training is imparted," Mr Ogilvy said. The company’s recent customers include South Africa and Czech republic.

On transfer of technology, he said that Gripen was willing to provide all the know-how for India to carry out modifications according to its needs. This could enable Indian companies like Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to imbibe latest technologies and utilise them effectively.

The RFP for the multi-role combat aircraft that the government plans to acquire has been pending for years. Among those in the race for the mega deal include F18 (Boeing) and F16 (Lockheed Martin) of the US, Mig 35 from Russia, Dassault Rafale of France and Eurofigher developed by a European consortium.

 

[Contrarian]

Old news...Gripen was always offering us complete ToT, production of the plane in India and our choice of the avionics and sensors.

 

[Adux]

Malay,

I will tell Gripen to go take Hike, How can they provide compelete ToT when most of their parts are american, GE-404 and th rest. They cant provide TOT on Foriegn Countries parts.

 

[Chrome9]

To indian members, If tha Gripen is chosen would that mean the end of LCA? Because they are very similar fighters or would India have two similar fighters in it's airforce? Or would India not go for Gripen for this very reason?

 

[Adux]

Yup, I am against the Indian acquring Gripen, LCA is Gripen biggest road block, But then again to solve this problem SAAB is offering Gripen NG

 

[Contrarian]

To clear up the confusion:
1.Gripen NG is offered, so it is NOT a threat to LCA.

2.The airframe is newly developed, thus it has very good potential for future growth.

3. Joey and me asked the question you are asking adux from the Gripen people at AI 07, ie how can they assure supplies, well they said that they would sign a contract with the respective US companies themselves for the sale of the respected parts, and once in contract the US cannot deny Sweden any spares, etc. They would continue to provide us the spares in case of sanction. They explicitly said that India would NOT be dealing with any third party apart from Sweden, they will not deal with US or any other company. Gripen will be the point company, and Sweden directly responsible for any lack of spares.

If things be considered right, i would say that Gripen NG has a very good chance at the MRCA contract.

 

[Adux]

Malay,

Some clarifications,

They cant send the spare parts to a differnet country without US approval. Even if they make individuals agreements with US companies, the US companies have to get US government approval even for a exporting a bullet.

What they told you is illegal.

 

[Contrarian]

Yeah, but it also means that they can pull from their own stocks....but either way, this is an issue that they will have to sort out with GoI, otherwise their plane wont be bought.

 

[Adux]

They cant SELL their stocks to a third country without US governmental approval , and that is a FACT

 

[Contrarian]

Yeah i realised that after i posted. Anyways, GoI will make sure that this problem is cleared up, otherwise they will not buy from JAS. Its as simple as that, no need to bang our heads over it.

 

[Neo]

Malay,

I will tell Gripen to go take Hike, How can they provide compelete ToT when most of their parts are american, GE-404 and th rest. They cant provide TOT on Foriegn Countries parts.

US will have no objection regarding full ToT issue is Gripen us selected. IIRC even RSA is getting it with ToT.

 

[Neo]

Tell us more about the JAS-39 NG, what are the basic upgrades?

 

[genmirajborgza786]

i surfed the net and found the following article related to GRIPEN NG JAS 39

Saab extending Gripen life past 2040


By David Donald

June 20, 2007
Defense



As Saab celebrates its 70th birthday this year (and 50 years at the Paris Air Show), the company is on the verge of a major technology demonstration program of the Gripen NG that will ensure the viability of the JAS 39 Gripen fighter “well beyond 2040,” according to Gripen International managing director Johan Lehander.

Next week a proposal goes before the Swedish parliament covering the upgrade of 31 older JAS 39A/B aircraft to the current JAS 39C/D production standard. Allied to new production machines, that will bring the total number of C/Ds up to the Swedish air force’s requirement for 100 aircraft. The remaining older aircraft will become available for export. Included in the proposal is a Gripen Demo program to bring together and display a host of airframe/powerplant changes and new technologies. The Demo configuration greatly enhances the Gripen’s performance and load-carrying ability, and its avionics.

Saab Heads Gripen Demo Team
For the demonstration, Saab leads a team that includes Terma, APPH, ABSC, Martin-Baker, Rockwell Collins, Honeywell and General Electric/Volvo Aero. Under the proposal currently up for parliamentary review, the Swedish government will provide a JAS 39A airframe for the Saab team to use as the basis for the flying portion of the demonstration. Once modified, it will emerge from the Linköping plant as a two-seater. As well as the flying Demo aircraft, there will be a ground-based rig to demonstrate the new avionics suite. The Demo aircraft is due to fly next year, with the program scheduled to last until 2010.

At the heart of the Gripen Demo is the desire to expand the aircraft’s range and weapons load. Without affecting the overall dimensions of the aircraft, the Saab team has increased the internal fuel by 40 percent. This has been cleverly achieved by moving the main undercarriage out to fairings nestling under the wing roots. In the current aircraft the landing gear retracts into the lower fuselage, but moving it outboard frees up a significant amount of internal volume that can be used for fuel. The weapons pylons have been beefed up for heavier weapons, while the relocation of the main undercarriage creates more available width under the fuselage for weapon pylons–three in all.

With these changes, maximum takeoff weight rises from the current 14 to 16 metric tons. To cater for the extra weight and to improve up-and-away performance, the Demo team has selected the General Electric F414G to power the Gripen NG. Earlier options to produce versions of the incumbent F404/RM12 with up to 17 percent extra thrust have been discarded in favor of the 22,000-pound F414G, which offers a 35-percent thrust increase over the current RM12. This considerable increase will allow the Gripen NG to supercruise (fly supersonically without afterburner) with air defense weapons and provides a comfortable thrust margin for any future weight increases.

The F414G is very similar to the engine that powers the Super Hornet, but there are some minor modifications required to increase alternator power and to alter the FADEC system for a single-engine aircraft application. For the demonstration, GE is supplying two F414s with suitable modifications. GE’s partner, Volvo Aero (which builds the current RM12 and supplies major F414 components), will oversee installation, integration and trials.

A key component of the new avionics suite will be an active electronically scanned antenna radar. Saab (formerly Ericsson) Microwave Systems has been working on AESA programs (ELIT, NORA and others) since the 1990s and is currently in the process of selecting a partner for the Demo phase. There are several potentials: it has already acquired a Raytheon AESA antenna to integrate with the back end of the Gripen’s PS-05/A radar and has agreed a deal with Selex Sistemi Integrati and Elettronica to work on a future M-AESA family of radars.

Export Prospects Good
The improvements being applied to Gripen make it even more attractive for prospective customers. While Norway is a Joint Strike Fighter partner and has put some money into the Eurofighter project, on April 26 it signed for a $25 million investment in the Gripen development program. Along with Norway, Denmark is also keenly interested in a Gripen NG version as an alternative to the JSF. Elsewhere in Europe, Gripen International is actively marketing in Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Romania and Switzerland. Further afield, opportunities exist in Brazil and Thailand, while the company waits–along with the world’s other fighter manufacturers–for a formal request from India for its 126-aircraft M-MRCA requirement.


http://www.ainonline.com/news/singl...n-life-past-2040/?no_cache=1&cHash=e0af465707

 

[niaz]

Saab Grippen is a small plane which would be very good as LCA. It can no way be comparable to larger fighters suh as MK-1 or Super Hornet in range and pay load.

 

[Bull]

Buy OVT and make it the next MKI beast. Im sure nobody wud offer a cost effective structure as the russians do.