Defence News
Saab responds to India Navy RFP with Sea Gripen
Saab has responded to an Indian navy request for proposals for carrier-borne fighter aircraft with an offer based on a marinised variant of its Gripen NG.
The navy is reported to require up to 57 multi-role combat aircraft that would replace its current fleet of Sukhoi Su-30s.
No details on the timeline for any acquisition have been released, with Saab officials indicating that they are unsure of when any decision would be made by New Delhi.
Saab says it is open to technology transfer as part of any Gripen deal. The Swedish manufacturer has previously partnered with Embraer to work on the Gripen E/Fs ordered by Brazil.
The Swedish manufacturer says the Sea Gripen will have all the capabilities of the Gripen E/F as well as a “small logistic footprint”.
Meanwhile, Saab says it is confident of acquiring more operators for the GE Aviation F414-power fighter in the Asia-Pacific, revealing that it is in talks with “prospects” including Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
However, Saab admits that it will have to wait and see if military budgets “match [their] ambitions”.
Within the region, Thailand is the only Gripen operator with 11 examples of the C/D variant.
