Defence

The Gripen Fighter Jets for India?

Recently a host of mainstream correspondents and freelancers like myself were invited by SAAB to Gripen conference in Delhi, here’s what Sweden is offering India and the different facets of the same. This piece is a synopsis of what we got to know & what SAAB wants to do!

There are always three facets to any defence deal which are technological benefit, financial benefit & geopolitical benefit. Financially SAAB has built its campaign on what it thinks will define self-sustained airpower in the 21st century which is a low cost modern platform that offers high availability, sortie rates and combat capability at the lowest cost amongst its peers.  Again there are two facets to cost which are acquisition cost and operating cost, SAAB claims it has the best of both worlds with a jet which has a flyaway cost nearly half that of a Rafale (SAAB sold Brazil 36 GRIPEN with maintenance and weapons package for 4.68$Bn) and the lowest operating cost per flying hour of only $4700 compares to its peers. Apart from that SAAB is willing to guarantee the Indian Air force near 100% availability, a very low 10 min sortie turnaround rate and the ability to operate from an 800x16mt airfield. All with a ground crew of less than 6 people per jet.

When it comes to technology SAAB has apparently built a completely new computing architecture for the GRIPEN which helps them upgrade individual components and add in new systems and weapons as desired without having to requalify the entire platform as was the same earlier, this system should make upgrading software and adding new radars, weapons etc. a lot cheaper and faster. SAAB has already built itself a software development center in Hyderabad where it has a 136 strong team of Indian engineers .Adding to all of the above SAAB has proposed a partnership to help develop & deploy the AMCA should the GRIPEN be chosen as the MRCA, Also included is a commitment to develop India as a technology center & GRIPEN export hub and to ensure no neighboring nation gets the GRIPEN. That said the GRIPEN did not pass the technological evaluation in MMRCA 1.0, however SAAB is quick to point out that as the new CAG report shows none of the competing jets had passed the technical evaluation as well also last time they had fielded the GRIPEN “D”. The new GRIPEN “ECHO” with a completely new computing & sensor package & a much more powerful engine is another beast altogether.

While the GRIPEN beats its competitors in the financials and holds its ground on the technological part of the evaluation as well it does not do too well on the geopolitical part. Sweden is a comparative diplomatic lightweight when compared with the likes of the US, Russia and France which are also vying for this deal. Also with the Engine of the GRIPEN being sourced from the US there is always the matter of American restrictions which may affect India in the future, however as SAAB points out such restrictions would likely ground the LCA as well which too flies on an American Engine. There is also the matter of the domestic partner. SAAB currently has a partnership with the ADANI group but with the govt coming under fire for the Reliance partnership with Dassault this partnership may well be a problem in the future. That said there is little likelihood of this deal moving forward till the 2019 Elections are over, after which it may well be domestic politics that decides who wins this deal. SAAB however makes it clear they’re in India for the long haul & are ready to wait for the same!

Author : Soumik Pyne has a day job as an engineer & is an independent commentator on Defence & Strategic affairs. He can be reached on his twitter id @Aryanwarlord

37 Comments

37 Comments

  1. Pingback: kalpa pharma steroids for sale

  2. Pingback: corey zieman reviews

  3. Pingback: วิธีหาเงินง่ายๆ

  4. Pingback: 안전놀이터

  5. Pingback: Buy CBD Oil Online

  6. Pingback: fake Richard Mille

  7. Pingback: lo de online

  8. Pingback: fake best price tag heuer

  9. Pingback: 토토

  10. Pingback: 토토사이트

  11. Pingback: car report

  12. Pingback: model based testing

  13. Pingback: 사설놀이터

  14. Pingback: รับทำเว็บไซต์ WordPress

  15. Pingback: KIU

  16. Pingback: replica rolex

  17. Pingback: Urban nido

  18. Pingback: online cvv shop

  19. Pingback: keto diet sweet potatoes

  20. Pingback: gay man dating trans man

  21. Pingback: Buy Weed near me

  22. Pingback: dried shrooms

  23. Pingback: sbo

  24. Pingback: maxbet

  25. Pingback: Can I buy magic mushrooms?

  26. Pingback: sbobet

  27. Pingback: wow slot

  28. Pingback: สินเชื่อโฉนดที่ดิน เพื่อนแท้

  29. Pingback: sbo

  30. Pingback: just go to

  31. Pingback: เอสบีโอเบท

  32. Pingback: sbobet

  33. Pingback: best cocaine dealer in US

  34. Pingback: useful source

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

8 + 17 =

News is information about current events. News is provided through many different media: word of mouth, printing, postal systems, broadcasting, electronic communication, and also on the testimony of observers and witnesses to events. It is also used as a platform to manufacture opinion for the population.

Contact Info

Address:
D 601  Riddhi Sidhi CHSL
Unnant Nagar Road 2
Kamaraj Nagar, Goreagaon West
Mumbai 400062 .

Email Id: [email protected]

West Bengal

Eastern Regional Office
Indsamachar Digital Media
Siddha Gibson 1,
Gibson Lane, 1st floor, R. No. 114,
Kolkata – 700069.
West Bengal.

Office Address

251 B-Wing,First Floor,
Orchard Corporate Park, Royal Palms,
Arey Road, Goreagon East,
Mumbai – 400065.

Download Our Mobile App

IndSamachar Android App IndSamachar IOS App
To Top
WhatsApp WhatsApp us