SAAB offers Maritime Gripen to Indian Navy

[r@ven21]

Swedish aircraft manufacturer SAAB plans to offer the maritime variant of its Gripen single engine fighter jet in response to the Navy’s tender for 57 carrier-based aircraft.

Last month, the government had issued a Request for Information (RFI) “to procure approximately 57 Multi-Role Carrier Borne Fighters (MRCBF) for the aircraft carriers of the Indian Navy.”

“Gripen is in the process of responding to the RFI for maritime aircraft,” Tony Ogilvy, Head of Marketing of Gripen Maritime, said on Friday.

The maritime variant of Gripen is based on the latest Gripen-E variant, however there is no flying prototype yet. “We have a certified design for the Gripen-M. We have to now go into prototype building now,” he stated.

Specific requirements

The aircraft is capable of both Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) and Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) operations, Mr. Ogilvy said. This is a requirement specified by the Navy. In addition, the Gripen-M has a small footprint similar to that of a Sea Harrier, which he said means “a full squadron can easily embark on a medium sized aircraft carrier.”

The RFI did not specify if the Navy wants a single or twin engine aircraft leaving the contest open. The other aircraft in the race are Boeing’s F-18 Super Hornet and Dassault Rafale, 36 of which the Indian Air Force has contracted.

 

[Indian Jatt]

how many navies like to operate single engine aircrafts? i mean reliability of the engine and nature of sorties in sea....

 

[egodoc222]

Single engine is unreliable and the useful load it's carries is way low....it's the reason why tejas was rejected!!

 

[egodoc222]

Who says it was rejected nd what about jf17 nd f16 ,is they have two engine I m NT able to see that..

Umm...first introduce yourself in members section...
On topic: read the above posts first....this thread is about Indian navy fighter I.e carrier based...there are no carrier versions of f16 and jf 17

 

[Zarvan]

Simulated image for representation only
- A +
Saab has offered its conceptual aircraft Gripen [M] (Maritime) for the Indian Navy’s Request For Information (RFI) for the procurement of 57 fighters worth about US $12 billion.

"There is an RFI from India for a carrier aircraft, and we are responding with the Gripen [M]. We see potential for the Gripen [M] and hopefully it will become a full development programme," Jerker Ahlqvist, head of the Gripen business unit said during the company's annual Gripen seminar in Stockholm Wednesday.

"We are still in the phase of concept studies at the moment, and we are evaluating the market needs. We have used UK engineers with Harrier experience in the past, and now we have Brazilian engineers working on the project," Jerker said.

Saab had offered to co-develop the marine version with Brazilian Navy and Thai Navy. Now that Brazil is decommissioning its only aircraft carrier, ‘Sao Paulo’, the shift is towards India.

According to reports in January last year, Saab had already conducted a feasibility study and knew about the modifications that are needed to create a naval version of Gripen. Gripen [M] also known as Sea Gripen will have advanced data link and extensive electronic warfare self-protection suite can be readily adapted to meet specific user requirements, the report said. There is no time-frame mentioned by Saab about the development of the aircraft.

The Indian MoD intends to procure Multi-Role Carrier Borne Fighters (MRCBF) for aircraft carriers of the Indian Navy. According to the RFI floated on January 17 this year, the MRCBF are intended as day and night capable, all weather multi-role deck based combat aircraft which can be used for Air Defence (AD), Air to Surface Operations, Buddy Refuelling, Reconnaissance, EW missions etc from Indian Navy aircraft carriers.

According to the RFI, ‘the aircraft, single- or twin-seat (or available as both), should be able to perform Short Take-off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) or Catapult Take-off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) operations or both’.

The Sea Gripen is intended for both CATOBAR and STOBAR aircraft carriers. It will the only aircraft that fits with the intended RFI’s terms for aircraft which can operate in both CATOBAR and STOBAR take-off and landing systems.

The selection of the aircraft will depend on what launch system will be used aboard the new carries currently under construction.

Russia is likely to pitch an aircraft based on upgraded MiG-29KUB for the Indian Naval fighter program. The other likely contenders for the contract can be Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet, a naval version of the Dassault Rafale.

http://www.defenseworld.net/news/18...ndian_Navy_s_Fighter_Jet_Program#.WMqz4Tt95PY

 

[Sloth 22]

Lol. The desperation.

Gripen is a fine aircraft , but the way SAAB is presenting it ..... its causing most of the sane Indians to hate Gripen.

There's TD built for N-LCA atleast, unlike this paper plane lol

 

[Storm Force]

12 billion dollars for 50 planes

Ridiculously over priced

And why reject lca tejas then buy gripen m

Just get rafale m

 

[sohailbutt1987]

At $240 million a piece for this 4th generation fighter?!

What are the guys smoking at both ends?

Even 5th generation F35 is marketed around $150 million a piece, what's up with the huge price difference?!

 

[Sloth 22]

At $240 million a piece for this 4th generation fighter?!

What are the guys smoking at both ends?

Even 5th generation F35 is marketed around $150 million a piece, what's up with the huge price difference?!

There's a difference in both prices.
What you are quoting for F35 are its " Fly Away " cost.

In comparison the Rafale deal for 36 aircraft by IAF would be ~250 million USD per aircraft.

But actually the " Fly Away " cost of 36 Rafales are just 96 million USD. The other costs are
1. Service contracts to Dassault for a period of 50 years for a minimum of 75% availability.
2. Cost of setting up infrastructure at two air bases to support Rafale Operations.
3. Training of first batch of Indian Pilots in France and Indian Trainee pilots getting some "Flight hours" of French Air Force Rafales to train.
4. Offsets and ToT for a set of different technologies including reviving Kaveri Engine, help in long range A2A missile project, help in UCAV project etc.
5. Weapons package of MICA , Meteor , SCALP, etc
6. Charges for installing Indian Sub Systems and some Israeli Systems in Rafale.
7. Cost of upgrading the Rafale with 12% more power engines, new avionics suite and an enhanced AESA starting2025.


Now add all these things for F35 , it won't be less than 400 million USD per aircraft.

 

[A.P. Richelieu]

Single engine is unreliable and the useful load it's carries is way low....it's the reason why tejas was rejected!!

Yes, the whole world has been waiting for Your expertise statement,
and now finally, the USN and Royal Navy will stop its procurement of F-35s.
Or maybe I am mistaken.

 

[egodoc222]

Yes, the whole world has been waiting for Your expertise statement,
and now finally, the USN and Royal Navy will stop its procurement of F-35s.
Or maybe I am mistaken.

Chill down pal!! You are comparing gripen to fifth gen fighter!!
I'm all for gripen in IAF!! But not for navy!!
More than the reliability, it is the load it can carry and poor stealth features!!
I hope IN selects F35

 

[Bloom 17]

India would rather buy another batch of mig 29 than go with a single engine fighter for its ac's.
Lca was never meant to be inducted on the ac's in the first place. The air force version of lca project was at standstill due to sanctions. In 2007 Hal wanted to show off they were working on something to keep their inflow of budget so opened their own pet project the navel lca.

Indian navy decided not to induct anymore single engine fighters on their ac's after their experience with harriers. Since 1990's Ac's needed payload carrying bomb trucks with jamming and network centric warfare capabilities than air superiority fighters. In the IOR war scenario where IN has its foothold the air superiority role was given to su30s based in the mainland.

 

[A.P. Richelieu]

India would rather buy another batch of mig 29 than go with a single engine fighter for its ac's.
Lca was never meant to be inducted on the ac's in the first place. The air force version of lca project was at standstill due to sanctions. In 2007 Hal wanted to show off they were working on something to keep their inflow of budget so opened their own pet project the navel lca.

Indian navy decided not to induct anymore single engine fighters on their ac's after their experience with harriers. Since 1990's Ac's needed payload carrying bomb trucks with jamming and network centric warfare capabilities than air superiority fighters. In the IOR war scenario where IN has its foothold the air superiority role was given to su30s based in the mainland.

Yet many claim that IN is supporting Naval LCA prototypes?
The decision to scrap the current LCA was quite recent.
A decision is not written in stone, but obviously range and payload
as well as other parameters will be considered.