First SA Gripens only months away

The first Saab Gripen advanced multirole fighter for the South African Air Force (SAAF) should be completed and rolled out in the last quarter of this year and is scheduled to make its first flight this November.

"This aircraft is in final assembly at the moment," reports South African Gripen programme spokesperson Linden Birns.

The SAAF is buying 28 of the fighters, named after the mythical Griffin, a creature that was believed to have the head and wings of an eagle and the body and tail of a lion (a pretty appropriate combination for an African air force).

Of this total, 19 will be single-seat JAS39C models and nine two-seat JAS39D models.

"This first South African aircraft will be a JAS39D two-seater and, after completion and first flight, it will be kept in Sweden for some months for initial flight-test and development (FT&D) work," recounts Birns.

"Thereafter, it will go to the SAAF Flight Test and Development Centre at Air Force Base Overberg, at Bredasdorp, in the Western Cape, for the rest of the FT&D programme," he explains.

The aircraft is expected to arrive in this country late next year or in early 2007.

"Integration of the South African components on the Gripen has been a learning curve for both sides, as you might expect dealing with companies from countries at the opposite ends of the world, but all the issues that arose have been resolved and things are going well," he reports.

"Saab has been able to establish a positive relationship with Denel and the other South African companies," he highlights.

Denel, for example, builds the centre and rear fuselage units for all JAS39C and JAS39D aircraft. This has had the ironic result that Gripens with these significant South African-made components are now flying proudly - in the Czech Air Force.

Although South Africa was the first country (apart from Sweden itself) to order the Gripen, the time-scale for delivery was set years after contract signature, with the result that the Czech Republic was able to order its Gripens after South Africa but get them delivered first.

The first six Gripens for the Czech Air Force were delivered in April, with another eight to come for a total of 14.

Saab and BAE Systems are, as with South Africa, engaged in industrial participation (IP) programmes in the Czech Republic, in return for that country's acquisition of Gripens.

"So far they have implemented IP projects in the Czech Republic valued at over 4-billion crowns (about R1-billion) and are on track to fulfil their obligation to deliver economic benefits valued at 25-billion crowns (about R8-billion) by 2014 - this equates to more than 130% of the aircraft lease contract," states Birns.

All the Czech IP projects are focused on production and export to Europe and the Middle East, so generating net export value for the Czech economy.

"Similarly, in South Africa, BAE Systems and Saab have focused their IP investments on new export- oriented manufacturing ventures - to date, these have been calculated by the South African Department of Trade and Industry to be worth more than $2,5-billion (R15-billion), out of an $8,7-billion total to be fulfilled by April 2011," he adds.

The reason for the long lead time for the SAAF Gripens is that it will not have to replace its current Denel Cheetah C and D aircraft until the end of this decade.

Meanwhile, South African test pilots continue to fly Gripens in Sweden on various development and trials programmes.

Denel's test pilot in Sweden is Charl Coetzee, while the SAAF project team in that country is headed by Lt-Col Chris Skinner, assisted by Lt-Col Mike Edwards and Major Musa Mbhokota; there are also support personnel from Armscor. Currently under way, for example, is the programme to integrate the South African-developed helmet-mounted display system with the Gripen.

Back in April, South Africa contributed to the development of the Gripen International programme by deploying an SAAF Boeing 707 tanker aircraft to Sweden for air-to-air refuelling trials with the Gripen.

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