Gripen Arrives In South Africa for Trials
Date: 22 August 2006
Two-seat SAAB JAS 39D Gripen 01 (c n 39-2801/`ZA01') the first of the type for the South African Air Force (SAAF), has arrived in South Africa. The aircraft, which made its first flight on November 11, 2005, at Linkoping, Sweden, was shipped from there by sea following an initial 25 hours of flight-testing in Sweden. After being offloaded at Cape Town docks, on July 16 the aircraft was towed through the streets of the city to Air Force Base (AFB) Ysterplaat before making a ferry flight to AFB Overberg (formally Bredasdorp), home of the SAAF Test Flight and Development Centre (TFDC).
From mid-August, the fully-instrumented Gripen will undertake a 14-month flight-test programme from Overberg which is expected to total around 150 flights. This will involve extensive testing to validate the integration of all the SAAF-specific equipment installed on the aircraft, which includes electronic warfare and communications systems, a new helmet-mounted sight and locally developed-weapons.
As part of the technology transfer agreement under the South African contract, a dedicated SAAF flight test and verification facility for the Gripen to be known as the Gripen Flight Test Centre South Africa (GFTC SA), will be established at Overberg The GFTC SA will become the central location lot final flight test and verification of all of the SAAF's Gripens, their entry into service clearances, and all future support work and enhancements.
The SAAF has a total of 28 Gripens on order, comprising 19 single-seat JAS 39Cs (10/39-2101 to 28/39-2119) and nine two-seat JAS 39Ds (O1/39-2801 to 09/39-2809): the first (a two-seat aircraft) is scheduled for delivery in March 2008, once testing has been completed. It will join 2 Squadron at AFB Makhado (formerly Louis Trichardt), replacing the Cheetah Cs/Ds currently with the unit. All nine two-seat aircraft will be delivered first, followed by the initial single-seat Gripen in December 2009, with the last due to join the SAAF around the end of 2011 or in early 2012. Gripen International also hopes to secure a follow-on contract for more aircraft for the SAAF some time after 2010, although this depends on the availability of funds from the South African defence budget.
AirForces Monthly (September)
