Saab Won’t Abandon Indian Gripen Effort, Has Patience in Brazil

[JayAtl]

Saab AB (SAABB), the Swedish maker of defense equipment, said it hasn’t abandoned efforts to sell its Gripen fighter jet to India, even after the model was removed from a competition that also ejected two U.S. contenders.

“We are monitoring the situation, and we have not packed up our things and left,” Haakan Buskhe, chief executive officer at the Linkoeping-based company, told journalists at the Paris Air Show today. “We have an extremely good aircraft and we have not given up.”

India is Saab’s biggest target for the Gripen besides Brazil. The aircraft was eliminated in April from the six-way contest to replace its aging fleet of MiG-21s, along with Boeing Co. (BA)’s F/A-18 Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT)’s F-16. Lockheed may seek to claw its way back into the contest by offering its latest warplane, the F-35 stealth fighter.

Brazil will probably pick a winner in a contest worth at least $5 billion later this year. Saab is competing with the Super Hornet and France’s Rafale, made by Dassault Aviation SA (AM), for a 36-aircraft order.

The contest is more complex than in India, which is seeking an “off-the-shelf” aircraft, Buskhe said, as Saab would be willing to transfer technology to Brazil as part of winning bid.

“We have the cash to wait another 10 years,” Buskhe said of the Brazilian tender. Saab has net liquidity of about 4 billion kronor ($626 million), according to the company.

Buskhe said his company stands to benefit from government cuts to defense spending because they force armies to review the equipment and contracts they have, opening an avenue for companies such as Saab to establish new orders.

“It may sound strange, but the defense cuts are beneficial to us,” Buskhe said at the press briefing. “When money is not an issue, you don’t change habits.”

Saab Won

 

[JayAtl]

hmm what's going on here... everyone wants a second chance. But duly noted : Indian Govt has no comment ... maybe white noise. but getting F 35 would be a no brainer - skip 4.5 for 5th gen if terms are feasible?

 

[Mech]

hmm what's going on here... everyone wants a second chance. But duly noted : Indian Govt has no comment ... maybe white noise. but getting F 35 would be a no brainer - skip 4.5 for 5th gen if terms are feasible?

how?! There is no chance in hell US would ever offer full ToT.

 

[JayAtl]

how?! There is no chance in hell US would ever offer full ToT.

you don't need full TOT if you are a JSF partner( only way to get F-35) like nato is on this deal...nato does not sign as strict a term like others do i.e. F 16's coming to Pak are fraught with overtly restrictive terms but JSF partners don't have those restrictions legally in their terms. It's a whole different ball game when you are treated at the same parity as NATO. now there is lot's of other mitigating ting issues about this aircraft but one thing we know- US persists and will come out on top and address any such technical issues. But on the balance I'm saying F-35! wow - skip 4th gen ...

 

[luckyyy]

Gripen certainly has a chance if both shortlisted fighter's bids goes out of allocated budget for MMRCA..

 

[pmukherjee]

I think we have already made our choice. It is either EFT or Rafale. JSF is nowhere in the picture. We do not need it. By all indications, we will start inducting FGFA/Pak-FA before the JSF is even operational.

 

[JayAtl]

I think we have already made our choice. It is either EFT or Rafale. JSF is nowhere in the picture. We do not need it. By all indications, we will start inducting FGFA/Pak-FA before the JSF is even operational.

JSF has completed the 1000 hrs flying threshold I thought- how will FGFA for India be operational before it? and this is for the current deal you can have a 5th gen skip 4.5 and also have you own FGFA fulfilling a role in diffrent capacity , yeah?

 

[SpArK]

Out of all , the Saab's offer was the most tempting, if they can give Gripen's at half the price of EFT, the rest of the money can be utlised for 2 squadrons of F-35s if it has some required ToT and no strings.

 

[Abingdonboy]

I don't understand what is meant by this:

The contest is more complex than in India, which is seeking an “off-the-shelf” aircraft, Buskhe said, as Saab would be willing to transfer technology to Brazil as part of winning bid.

IAF MMRCA demanded TOT right? And for 18 to be built by manufacturer but rest by HAL - how is Brazil's MORE complex??

+ and this is ridiculous- eliminated contenders saying they are still in the race?!!
Is it the MoD's fault? Have they not made it clear it is a NO? I say there is no way any eliminated a/c can be allowed back in as this would possibly derail any possible defence procurements as in the futre eliminated contenders could do the same and the whole process just drags on. Losers- IAF/INDIA/Indian taxpayers.

 

[angeldemon_007]

I really liked gripen because it was cheap and decent fighter jet but my first choice was always rafale...

 

[luckyyy]

I don't understand what is meant by this:


IAF MMRCA demanded TOT right? And for 18 to be built by manufacturer but rest by HAL - how is Brazil's MORE complex??

+ and this is ridiculous- eliminated contenders saying they are still in the race?!!
Is it the MoD's fault? Have they not made it clear it is a NO? I say there is no way any eliminated a/c can be allowed back in as this would possibly derail any possible defence procurements as in the futre eliminated contenders could do the same and the whole process just drags on. Losers- IAF/INDIA/Indian taxpayers.

what if both shortlisted fighter's bids goes out of allocated budget for MMRCA , ..

 

[angeldemon_007]

^^^
No it won't....Rafale is well within the allotted money. As far as EF is concerned, government has offered to add a couple billion above the alloted 9-10 billion$.

 

[bhejafry]

^^^
No it won't....Rafale is well within the allotted money. As far as EF is concerned, government has offered to add a couple billion above the alloted 9-10 billion$.

Do you have a source for that? Its pretty clear though that even the rafale would cost more than $10.4bn, (thats $83mn apiece, which is close to costs mentioned for rafale in wikipedia but does not factor in inflation)

 

[kingdurgaking]

If ELTA 2052 was not banned or withdrew... SAAB would have been the winner...

 

[SpArK]

If ELTA 2052 was not banned or withdrew... SAAB would have been the winner...

O really?