Brazil on Wednesday announced its selection of Saab's Gripen NG fighters to replace its aging fighter aircraft fleet. Under the $4.5...
Brazil on Wednesday announced its selection of Saab's Gripen NG fighters to replace its aging fighter aircraft fleet. Under the $4.5 billion contract, Saab AB will supply 36 Gripen NG fighters to Brazilian Air Force by 2020.
Gripen NG edged out French Dassault Rafale and US Boeing’s F/A-18 fighters for the long-deferred FX-2 air force replacement, which was negotiated over the course of three presidencies.
The announcement will be followed by negotiations with the Brazilian Air Force.
The Saab's offer include an extensive technology transfer package, a financing package as well as long term bi-lateral collaboration between the Brazilian and Swedish Governments. Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer will be Saab's production partner.
The key selling point of Gripen NG is its lowest logistical and operational costs of all fighters currently in service ($4000/hr). The Gripen is a lighter, single engined aircraft and never match the twin engined Rafale and F\A-18 in terms of performance and capabilities.
The first flight of the Gripen NG Demonstrator aircraft was performed in Linköping, Sweden on the 27th of May 2008. The Gripen NG in the Combat Air Patrol configuration achieves a combat radius of 700 nm (nautical miles), or 1.300 km, from the base of operations, with more than 30 minutes “on station”. It has a ferry range of 2200 nm (4.000 km). It is powered by a General Electric F414G turbofan, with modular, fuel-efficient low-bypass ratio, afterburning turbofan with the latest technology. With a thrust rating of more than 22,000lb (98kN), the F414G produces 20% more thrust than Gripen’s current Volvo Aero RM12 power plant, and will enable super-cruise performance of Mach 1.1 with air-to-air weapons.
It also sports the world’s only 2nd generation AESA radar, ES 05 Raven.
