THE FUTURE IS

MADE IN INDIA
A PRESENTATION OF GRIPEN IN – THE NEXT GENERATION FIGHTER AIRCRAFT MADE FOR INDIA, IN INDIA

R
POSTE
INSID E

GRIPEN
MEANS
BUSINESS
“THE COMMANDER’S
DREAM”
 The Independent Choice
O
n 15th August 2010, even as the peoples of create an independent aerospace industry whose
India celebrate the 63rd year of the nation’s capability would be second to none.
independence, midnight oil is figuratively In the following pages, attributes of the
being burnt at South Block which houses the Defence Swedish Gripen NG (IN for India) are examined,
Ministry of the Government of India, a short distance this fourth-generation fighter being promoted
from Vayu Bhawan, Headquarters of the Indian Air as ‘the independent choice’ but one which is
Force. Select officers and officials have been engaged nevertheless seen in context of cutting edge
for several years on examining the optimum medium- technologies, affordability and the overriding
multi role combat aircraft (M-MRCA) for the Indian factor of consolidating India’s aviation industry
Air Force whose selection and induction would into the future.
augment the depleting force levels of the IAF.
Pushpindar Singh Chopra
Indeed, the process of evaluation of those aircraft
The Society for Aerospace Studies,
types that the Indian Air Force has focussed upon
New Delhi
began many years earlier. The professionals at Vayu
Bhawan have since carried out thorough technical
evaluation which was followed by flight trials of each
of the contenders in their countries of origin as also
representative field conditions in India, including
landing and take off at Leh, arguably the world’s
highest operational air base.
The decisions are nigh. However, this is not merely the
choice of a new aircraft type but its impact on the future
of self reliance in defence which will be far reaching.
Now is the time to take into consideration the myrid of
opportunities which this, the largest tender in the world
for new fighters, affords India and its endeavour to

1-14 Gripen Supplement.indd 2 7/15/2010 12:13:14 PM

 Topguns
The Future is Made in India 10
‘Aviation’ and ‘Space’ are undoubtedly the most
significant technological influences of our time.
This essay written by Air Marshal Brijesh D Jayal
(retd.) emphasises that the aerospace industry forms
the bedrock of national air power,
with the need to progress vital
issues so as to ensure that the
‘future is made in India’.
The Commander’s Dream 28
Peter Nilsson, former Lt. Colonel of the Swedish
Air Force, looks at the Gripen IN’s high operational
capability, rapid turnaround and minimal support
requirements, providing the Commander with the
ability to meet most demanding of operations with
minimum resources.

1-14 Gripen Supplement.indd 3
The Swedish Way 4
Professor Prodyut Das recalls the
evolution of Sweden’s independent
aircraft industry and its relevance in the
Indian context.
IAF and the
Next Generation of Air Defence 22
Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar, the well-known test pilot
and formerly with the Aeronautical Development Agency
(ADA), examines the geo-political scenario and choice
of the M-MRCA.
7/15/2010 12:13:15 PM
 The Swedish Way
T
he United States, Russia, Britain, Germany, Japan and France have the latest and most expensive technology
a legacy of defence engineering experience that has transcended but fair common sense, honesty of
engineering to become part of their cultural heritage. To model purpose and accountability which yields
our own aerospace industry on the imperious traditions of these countries world class results achieved by ordinarily
is unnecessary, but the absence of such traditions must not become an competent personnel within a short time.
excuse for failure. Fortunately knowledge has a sedimentary nature. What Essential too is enthusiasm and zeal for
is the latest, best and top-secret today loses importance and then relevance the project on hand. Granting these few
and finally utility with the passage of time. Sometimes, hard acquired conditions, quite astonishing results can
knowledge is found to be useless, sometimes it is irrelevant. There is also be achieved with limited resources: there
the matter of diminishing returns. There is thus no need (nor indeed the is actually no magic though the results
possibility) to emulate the heritage of others as a precondition to having may seem magical. China, Sweden,
our own healthy aerospace industry. Brazil and even Taiwan and Korea have
India must look at those countries which have less imperious a heritage demonstrated as to what can be achieved.
in this context. Such search reveals that hoary and immense traditions are We will choose Sweden as an excellent
not a necessary precondition. It reassures one that what is important is not model to emulate.

The Saab Viggen

1-14 Gripen Supplement.indd 4 7/15/2010 12:13:19 PM

 Which country first put into service
a jet fighter with swept wings and an
afterburning engine? The first single-
seat fighter in service to have an ejection
seat for the pilot? The first to have a
Mach 2 STOL jet fighter which could
be operated from stretches of highway
and designed from the outset to be
operated in extreme cold weather by
conscript personnel and not use the then
fashionable and expensively researched
VG technology to achieve breathtaking
STOL performance? Which was the first
fighter aircraft which had computers
to reduce the pilot’s work load during
landing and in normal flight? The first
fighter-bomber to have a bombing
computer? (This is by no means an
exhaustive list). It is Sweden.
1-14 Gripen Supplement.indd 5
But why choose Sweden? Because, half a world away,
half a century back, the processes of birth of the Swedish
aerospace industry has relevance for what must become
the model for rebirth of India’s aerospace industry.
Sweden is a democracy (unlike China). Like India,
Sweden is a socialist country, in fact has always been
more socialist than us. We used socialism to curb private
initiative; the Swedish state was staunchly socialist but
avoided areas where professionals of the private sector
could do better. The government did not get into the
business of making warplanes and weapon systems. It
allowed its private sector to do so, the state certainly
giving financial guarantees.
Sweden is also very relevant because its industry then
(like our private sector at present) had no aerospace
background. The Swedish engineering industry went
through a painful, but very short, learning phase to
become consistent innovators and thought leaders. India’s
private sector too can replicate this. Sweden is relevant
because, population wise, it is a very
tiny country. In our case, we have some
aerospace leaders who consistently India with its
try to frighten off reforms in this vital
sector by saying how difficult it is to
enormous
meet competition, how difficult it is resources,
to have accountability, how difficult it experience....
is to have timeliness, how difficult it
is to have gain (the litany is long): the is poised to
message is ‘keep things just as they are’, take over and
possibly to maintain their comfortable
turfs - we are all human.
win a great
The Saab J37 Viggen (service entry proportion of
June 1971) seen above was the world’s
first canard jet fighter and also the first
the potentially
with thrust reverser, one of the earliest massive world
with an auto throttle for landing and market.
to use a frameless semi cylindrical
windshield which is now so fashionable.
339 Viggens were built. The JAS 39 Gripen coupled
tradition with fly-by-wire and composites which by this
time had become technologically secure to Saab. The
total production of all these Saab fighters exceeded two
thousand numbers. The dates of first flight and service
entry are of particular interest to us as these were about
the time, respectively, that the HF-24 Marut was going
into operations and the LCA development just about
getting started.
India with its enormous resources, experience with
Western and Russian technology and hoperfully,
involving mature private sector, is poised to take over
and win a great proportion of the potentially massive
world market. Once we emulate Sweden’s example!
Prof. Prodyut Das

7/15/2010 12:13:20 PM
 The Gripen NG
T
he Next-Generation Gripen, or Gripen NG, is
the successor to today’s proven Gripen C/D,
an aircraft that is both evolutionary and
revolutionary. Evolutionary because the NG is based on
today’s in-service Gripen, the multi-role fighter ordered
by five air forces worldwide. With over 130,000 flight
hours behind it, Gripen has an indisputable track record
for low operational costs and total life cycle costs that
feeds directly into Gripen NG.
At the same time, Gripen NG is a revolution
because it combines advanced technology
Gripen NG is and operational effectiveness in an affordable
package that no other fighter aircraft can hope
a revolution to match.
because it The Gripen NG takes the tried and tested
combines elements of the Gripen design and improves
on these. The new aircraft has a more powerful
advanced General Electric F414G engine with the
technology and ability to supercruise. Its redesigned airframe
operates at higher weights, allowing more fuel
operational and weapons to be carried. A unique avionics
effectiveness in architecture makes weapons and systems
integration even easier and quicker. The NG
an affordable operates with a fully-networked, fully-fused
package sensor and communications systems that gives
it cutting edge capabilities for any mission,
from close air support (CAS) to beyond visual
range air-to-air combat.
Among the key missions systems that make Gripen NG
such a formidable future fighter are its all-new Selex-Galileo
ES-05 Raven AESA (active electronically scanned antenna)
radar, developed in cooperation with Saab Microwave.
The aircraft is equipped with a Saab Avitronics electronic

1-14 Gripen Supplement.indd 6
warfare system that gives the NG a unique
active and passive electronic attack (EA)
capability – which adds the AESA to the
vital EA mission. The NG is also equipped
with a missile approach warning and self
defence system, which is unheard of for a
tactical fighter aircraft in this class.
Gripen’s advanced cockpit design
and sensor suite puts the pilot in total
control of the air battle. The aircraft’s
unmatched range of air-to-air and air-
to-surface precision weapons allows
Gripen NG to dominate that battle
against all targets on land, at sea or in
the air. A video datalink specifically
designed for the CAS mission connects
the NG directly to ground forces, while
its air-to-air datalinks integrate the
airborne force and ground control assets
into an unbeatable package.
Most importantly, the complete
Gripen NG system is controlled by its
user, with complete freedom to modify
and adapt all of its components to meet
national needs, without restrictions or
licensing issues. None of the technology
embodied in the NG is risky or unproven,
but it is unique and sophisticated. All of
it is harnessed by a Saab team with a
record for on-time and on-cost delivery
that is second to none.
Jonas Jakobsson
Experimental Test Pilot, Saab
7/15/2010 12:13:22 PM
The IAF’s Doctrine
T
he IAF’s Air Power Doctrine (APD),
fi rst articulated in 1995, provides the
main roadmap “to ensure that the
IAF remains a viable deterrent against its
principal potential adversaries.” The
doctrine lays emphasis on certain
fundamental issues, including
the need to accord offensive air
operations the same priority as
air defence, the acceptance of a
reduction in force levels, but
compensated by an increase
in technology levels, with
emphasis on the acquisition
of force multipliers and
improvements in command,
control, communications,
computers, intelligence
(C41) structures, plus a
revamped, modernised air
defence and communications network. 12th Plan. Though the IAF is inducting heavy air
In 2007, the IAF reportedly decided to reformulate its dominance fighters such as the Sukhoi Su-30MKI
doctrine, keeping in mind the need to transform itself and force multipliers like Il-78 mid¬air refuellers
into an aerospace power with “potent strategic reach.” and ‘Phalcon’ AWACS, numbers do matter in the
This doctrine revolves around the primacy of air power ultimate analysis.
in ‘shaping’ the battlefi eld but it has become necessary It is interesting to note that the former IAF CAS,
to update its plans since globally the employment of air Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi, even warned the
power has seen considerable change and the IAF has government that “unless immediate steps are taken
inducted a wide array of sophisticated technologies. to arrest the reduction in the IAF’s force levels, the
Moreover, the new doctrine also factors in the valuable nation will, for the fi rst time in its history, lose the
experience gained, especially in beyond visual range conventional military edge over Pakistan.” Even
(BVR) combat, during joint exercises conducted with though the strength of IAF combat squadrons has
technologically-advanced air forces. temporarily fallen below the authorised level, the
Given the range of threats faced and the fact that the IAF needs to project its demand for the future in the
assets of the IAF are dwindling, it does make the task light of the increasingly dominant role it would have
of allocating roles more diffi cult. It was only after the to play. While technology and weapon-load carrying
1962 Sino-Indian conflict that a 50-squadron force was capacity of the present/future front-line force will
mooted, but even today the IAF continues to have an offset to some extent the actual numbers of aircraft
inventory plan of some 39.5 combat squadrons, actual required, given the multiplicity of roles and the vast
numbers being smaller. extent of frontiers to be covered, a strength of 40-45
The IAF continues to phase out of its MiG series of combat squadrons is considered necessary by 2020.
combat squadrons and consequently the present strength
Unless there is a drastic change in our processing
of the IAF fighter squadrons is down to about 30, with
methodology, this is indeed a challenging goal for the
many more older MiG variants lined up for progressive
next 15 years.
retirement. Even with new acquisitions, India will only
have 35.5 fighter squadrons by the end of the 11th Five- Air Commodore Jasjit Singh, Director,
Year Plan (2012), and 37.5 squadrons by the end of the The Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS), New Delhi
7
 “Beyond Situation
W
hile others are talking about situation
awareness, the Gripen IN goes beyond.
Situation awareness (SA) involves being
aware of what is happening around you to understand
how information, events, and your own actions will
impact your goals and objectives, both now and in the
near future. Lacking SA or having inadequate SA in an
air combat situation normally ends with a disaster.
While situation awareness is obviously vital for Net
Centric Warfare and execution of combat missions, it is
not the real key to success in the information-intensive
battlespace of the 21st Century. It is only an enabler.
We agree with the fact that as a fighter pilot you need
situation awareness to be able to achieve information
superiority. However we do not agree that this is enough.
Simple awareness is not enough.
Saab’s Research & Development, which includes close
relationship with operations, shows the need to be able to use
superior knowledge of the battle space to make decisions and
take actions that allow domination of the battle space.

1-14 Gripen Supplement.indd 8
This is where Gripen IN moves to the
next level of information superiority:
understanding and appreciating the
battlespace situation. We call it going
‘Beyond Situation Awareness’.
With leading edge sensor and weapon suites,
Gripen IN allows the warfighter not just the
ability to collect information in the battlespace,
Gripen IN also gives the capability to process,
analyse and act on the gathered information.
More than 30 years of experience with
airborne data links, a fully digital glass
cockpit, a weapon suite second to none,
makes the Gripen IN the most flexible multi
role fighter in the market ready for the 21st
Century battlespace.
Gripen Test Pilot
Major Mikael Olsson
Executive Officer of the Swedish Gripen
Operational Test and Evaluation Unit
Swedish Air Force
7/15/2010 12:13:40 PM
 Awareness”
Cockpit for the Future
Executive Officer of the Swedish Gripen Operational Test
and Evaluation Unit, Gripen Test Pilot Major Mikael Olsson
confirms that:
After nearly 10 years of flying Gripen including numerous
international exercises, such as ‘Red Flag’ in the USA, I have
yet to see a more futuristic cockpit than the Gripen’s.
But we are moving forward. Together with Saab we are
building the cockpit for the future. A cockpit which not only
gives you Situation Awareness but which supports you in
your decisions and actions.
Knowledge itself, without an ability to understand and act
upon that knowledge, is not very useful.
We pilots say: with good Situation Awareness you
identified the fighter and missile which killed you! With new
technologies and ideas in the “Beyond Situation Awareness
– concept” you will be the one claiming that kill!

1-14 Gripen Supplement.indd 9 7/15/2010 12:13:45 PM

The Future is Made in India
A
‘ viation’ and ‘Space’ are
undoubtedly the most
signifi cant technological
infl uences of our time thus
strengthening the thesis that
technology of powered fl ight has
changed the intellectual landscape
forever, with air power diminishing
the importance of geography itself as
an element of national power.
Independent India’s founding
fathers had taken an early initiative
to invest in aircraft design and
production, exemplified by the
HF-24 Marut fighter-bomber of the
1960s, as also the country’s ambitious
space programmes. However, owing
to the lack of continuity,
foundations of aviation
The aerospace design and development
industry forms the within the country remained
bedrock of national largely underutilised, thus
denying the country its
air power. Its R&D technology and wealth
drives technology creating potential. With
and promotes India aspiring to become
a global economic power,
self-reliance and it follows that the nation
international must strive for a cohesive
national policy on aerospace
competitiveness, power befi tting its global
apart from aspirations.
numerous spin-offs During a recent
International Conference
on ‘Energising India’s
Aerospace Industry’ held in New
Delhi, the Air Chief called upon the
government to set up a technology
roadmap for the aerospace industry.
He also called for a greater role
for the private sector in design and
development in order to help the
Indian aerospace industry become a
major player in the global market.
A few examples are relevant,
none more than the case of the
10
Light Combat Aircraft, considered as the
‘fl agship’ national aerospace project when
it was launched in the mid-1980s. While
the IAF has ordered a token number,
it will still be sometime before the IAF
can genuinely count on this as a potent
war fighting machine. Even as a new
powerplant is being identifi ed for the LCA
Mk.II, there are reports that the search is
on for a partner to develop the indigenous
Kaveri engine. The mooted ‘fourth
generation’ LCA programme seems to be
overtaken by events such as the signing
of an inter-governmental agreement
with Russia for the joint development of
a ‘Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft’.
From all accounts however, most of the
design and development work has already
been completed by the Russians thus
rendering questionable the concept of
‘joint development’.
In any event, fifth generation fighters
do not come cheap either and perhaps
it’s worth pointing out that the USAF is
already learning this the hard way. The
IAF has maintained that, notwithstanding
its component of modern multi-role
aircraft, it must maintain minimum
combat aircraft strength. As the FGFA
programme progresses, the IAF will be
faced with similar dilemmas as has the
USAF, and it may find no rescuers.
It is in this context that choice of the
medium-multi role combat aircraft
(M-MRCA), fulfilling the stated
requirement of the Indian Air Force,
assumes criticality. There are six world
reputed companies which have offered
their best and latest to the IAF. After
an extended and exacting process of
technical and flight evaluation, the Air
Force is reportedly submitting its report
and recommendations to the Government
for further progression. It will not be an
easy selection, considering the inevitable
pressures, not only economic and
operational but certainly also political.
It is a given that the Air Force are led
by professionals who have undoubtedly
taken into account numerous factors in
their considered short listing of the future
fi ghter type which will adorn IAF markings
for the next half century. The M-MRCA
will augment the IAF’s combat aircraft
inventory which is increasingly being tilted
towards the heavier combat end, with near
300 Sukhoi Su-30MKIs on order, half
of them delivered. Currently, some 50%
of the present combat aircraft strength
is composed of obsolescent MiG-21 and
MiG-27 variants which perforce must be
supplanted in the next decade. The mantra
must be to have a new generation multi-role
fi ghter which is ‘affordable’ and ‘available’
in large numbers as also ‘operable’ in the
varying conditions and terrain that obtains
across the sub-continent. Above all, this
selected type must become the foundation
for future aerospace technology “made
in India” and thus must be relevant to
the ‘next generation fi ghter’ or medium
combat aircraft (MCA) project which has
reportedly been initiated by the DRDO.
The aerospace industry forms the bedrock
of national air power. Its R&D drives
technology and promotes self-reliance and
international competitiveness, apart from
numerous spin-offs. Potential exports
support both R&D and the industrial
base thus promoting affordable weapon
systems for national security, prestige and
influence. While India possesses the pre-
requisites for a sound aerospace industry,
its contribution to the building of the
nation’s air power has not been in keeping
with this potential.
The nation must aspire to attain an
internationally competitive aerospace
industry within a defi ned time frame.
It has the necessary infrastructural
and human resource but vast fi nancial
resources are being spent in support of
its import programmes some of which
it expects to be invested internally
as direct offsets. What is missing is
a national aerospace vision and the
institutions and determination to
translate that vision into reality. We
must search for and get involved with
those companies and countries that
have a genuine desire to share with us
the latest technology developments with
‘no strings attached’ and not merely the
transfer of ‘screwdriver’ technology.
It is important that the private sector
too should be encouraged to join in the
aerospace R&D effort. Indeed the general
practice to encourage competition in the
initial stages of R&D is healthy for both
research and the ensuing results.
Funding of aerospace R&D must
be ‘generous’. Indeed the IAF,
...choice of the
being the lead aerospace agency medium-multi
in the country, must provide role combat
handsomely in its budget towards
R&D programmes as a long term
aircraft
investment in aerospace science (M-MRCA),
and technology. fulfilling
Over the last few years
considerable national and
the stated
international interest has been requirement of
focused on the Indian aerospace the Indian Air
market. Much of this is owed to
positive policy changes by the
Force, assumes
government and the huge potential criticality
existing here. India’s own aerospace
community has benefi ted immensely
through participation by experts during
conferences, seminars and at air shows.
The government must now take the
initiative to pilot this huge opportunity
into making Indian aerospace an
internationally competitive entity. This
needs policy direction, organisational
and institutional changes.
We now need to ‘fl y’ the talk, to ensure
that ‘the future is made in India!’
Air Marshal Brijesh D. Jayal (retd.)
11
 “India is Home Market for Saab”
Saab will bid for Indian contracts with local partner
advanced competencies
supporting the development
of a self-reliant and world-
leading aircraft industry,”
continues Saab Country
Head Inderjit Sial.
A first step in this direction
is the collaboration between
Mahindra Satyam and Saab,
which was announced in
November 2009. The two
companies have already
initiated the setup of a
‘centre of excellence’ for
net centric warfare that
will be a development
centre for mission-
critical applications and
C4I solutions for global
opportunities, accessible to
either of the partners.
Mr. CP Gurnani, CEO, Mahindra Satyam and Mr. Åke Svensson, President and CEO, Saab at the
With the backing of the
announcement of Mahindra Satyam’s collaboration with Saab in Mumbai.
Swedish government and in

G
ripen is the only option that could fundamentally
shift India’s defence technology prowess to one
that is able to realise its ambition of being an
independent global player.
Saab has announced that the company has decided to
make India a ‘home market,’ thereby signaling its intent
of long term commitments to investments in India and
leveraging India’s manufacturing strengths for exports to
world markets.
In addition, the company has announced that it will
be bidding for Indian contracts only with a local partner,
either through a teaming agreement or as a joint venture.
“From now on we will bid for Indian contracts only
with a local partner either by forming a joint venture or
through a teaming agreement. We will share technology
and localise production. India will be a future home for
us,” says Senior Vice President and General Manager
Industrial Cooperation, Andreas von der Heide
The formation of long-term and direct partnerships
between Saab and local industries is a key factor in
delivering successful technology transfer.
“Our transfer of technology (ToT) programme will
guarantee India full access to all levels of Saab’s aircraft
technology through the transfer of unique and highly
12
close cooperation with Indian industry, Saab is developing
industrial cooperation packages tailored to meet India’s
strategic priorities and create industrial development and
true economic growth.
Saab, which is one of the contenders for the 126
M-MRCAs that the Indian Air Force is to acquire, says
that for enabling the development of Indian defence
capability it is better for the Indian Government to not
merely look at offsets which merely propagate short term
placement of orders but to widen the base to industrial
cooperation as it would imply that Indian companies start
collaborating in development of future technologies.
According to Gripen India Director Eddy de la Motte,
“The Gripen IN Demo is not just the first step towards
a new Gripen – it is driving the development of new
technology for existing Gripen customers and for
other applications. The Demo aircraft is a platform for
technology insertion for the whole Gripen family.”
Saab is able to transfer technology to Indian
companies irrespective of, and far exceeding, the offset
requirements. It is now creating a home market base
across the entire manufacturing chain from systems and
product development to a vendor base of component and
sub-component manufacturers.

1-14 Gripen Supplement.indd 12 7/15/2010 12:13:57 PM

 “Gripen IN will be the world’s most
advanced multi-role fighter”
C
ampaign Director for India, Edvard de la Motte, or
Eddy, is an aeronautical engineer who has seen the
Gripen up close since its infancy when, as deputy
chief system engineer of Gripen, he got involved in the
introduction of Gripen into the Swedish Air Force. Shortly
thereafter, he was appointed chief system engineer of Gripen.
He can also articulate the quantum leap that the Gripen IN
represents. As the next generation Gripen took its first long
ferry out of Sweden to India for in-country trials, Eddy
was there with the current generation of engineers who are
taking the new Gripen at the forefront of fighter technology.
Eddy’s passion for the outdoors which manifests in skiing
and sailing, motorcycles and more, got a breathtaking new
perspective when he witnessed the Gripen land in the awe- Eddy De La Motte, Campaign Director, India
inspiring backdrop of the Leh Air Force base.
warner, laser warner, towed decoys and built in
How does the Gripen IN fit India’s fighter
jamming capability provide excellent offensive
requirements?
and defensive characteristics.
India’s threat scenarios are such where it needs a fleet of
The outstanding agility of the
aircraft that are quick off the ground, have more time in
Gripen IN is achieved through
the air, are deployable in large numbers from even road
a combination of an advanced The Gripen is
strips, operate at the cutting edge of electronic warfare,
pack a punch, are easy to maintain, have a technology
aerodynamic layout utilising a very difficult to
combined close-coupled canard-
shelf life over the next 40 years and have a low life cycle
delta configuration and a digital match in any
cost that keeps a large fleet operational.
The Gripen is all of that ! Let me explain. The
fly-by-wire system. The new, more
powerful, General Electric F414G
air combat
Gripen IN on induction will be the most advanced multi-role
fighter in the world. Gripen IN is a version of the Gripen NG
engine gives Gripen supercruise situation
capability.
next generation fighter, which includes increased combat
Gripen’s high operational
range and endurance, additional weapons carriage capability
availability, rapid turnaround and minimal
and increased payload.
support requirements lead to sustained high sortie
The Gripen IN’s versatile multi-role capability is the
rates and more time in the air. A wide range of
key to defeating the threats to India today and tomorrow.
state of the art weapons, can be sourced from
Incorporating Next Generation Avionics Architecture and
manufacturers worldwide, giving the Indian Air
state-of-the-art weapon systems, the Gripen possesses a look-
Force freedom of choice by avoiding sole source
down/shoot-down capability to engage aircraft, missiles,
supply constraints.
and even the smallest, low-flying targets. The Gripen is very
difficult to match in any air combat situation. How does Saab’s proposition for India look in
The Gripen IN’s “See First – Kill First” capability, a the MMRCA competition?
combination of low radar, IR and visual signatures, along First, it’s an aircraft that will be ahead of all other
with the AESA radar, IR/EO and sensor fusion, including aircraft in the MMRCA category at the time of its
world leading new generation weapon integration, ensures induction, not an aircraft that has been in service
a high kill ratio in long range engagements. for over a decade. Second, Gripen is the only option
The Gripen IN has the capability with precision-guided that will make India completely independent of
weapons to attack and destroy, 24 hours a day and under the need to purchase combat aircraft from other
any meteorological conditions. The fully integrated countries. Third, the low operational cost will
avionic mission system, including an AESA radar, translate in to more flying hours. Finally, Saab
IRST sensor, advanced active and passive EW system, is the only company to not only offer a complete
provides superior sensor fusion and decision support transfer of technology on the source codes, but
capabilities. These together with a missile approach also joint development.
13

1-14 Gripen Supplement.indd 13 7/15/2010 12:14:05 PM

 Meteor-The Game Changing Weapon
T
he European Meteor BVRAAM (beyond visual weapon and a greatly expanded ‘no escape zone’. The
range air-to-air missile) is a game-changing weapon key to Meteor’s performance is its throttleable ramjet
for the Gripen NG. Developed by a six-nation propulsion system. Unlike a conventional rocket motor, a
consortium, headed by MBDA and including Saab, the ramjet sustains power to the very end of an engagement,
Meteor missile redefines the nature of air superiority in allowing the missile to chase down and out-turn any
beyond visual range air combat. Put simply, there is no aircraft. No matter how tight the target turns the Meteor
other missile in service or in development that can match will always be able to out-manoeuvre and intercept
the speed, range and lethality that Meteor delivers. it. A series of flight trials, beginning in 2006, have
already demonstrated the
Meteor’s ability to fly well
No matter beyond 100 miles at speeds
how tight around Mach 3.
Every one of the live fire
the target tests undertaken to date have
turns the been conducted by Gripens
in the UK or in Sweden. As
Meteor will a result, the Gripen already
always be possesses a functional ‘go
able to to war’ capability with the
Meteor missile. Gripen/
out-manoeuvre Meteor integration will be
and intercept it further refined and fully
implemented in the Gripen
NG. With its AESA radar
In fact, the Meteor was born from a joint and other advanced sensor systems matched with the
UK/Swedish programme that later expanded to Meteor, the Gripen NG will have a truly unique level of
include France, Germany, Italy and Spain. The basic air combat effectiveness.
requirement was for a very high-speed AAM that Lt. Col. Magnus Olsson
would have at least three times the range of any current Swedish Air Force
14

1-14 Gripen Supplement.indd 14 7/15/2010 12:14:11 PM

GRIPEN IN
FACTS &
FIGURES

LENGTH:
LENGTH:
............................................................................... 14.1 14.1
............................................................................... M M MANEUVERABILITY:
MANEUVERABILITY:
.............................................................. 9 G9 G
..............................................................

WINGSPAN:
WINGSPAN:
............................................................................ 8.6 M8.6 M MAX
............................................................................ MAX
RANGE:
RANGE:
............................................................... > 4000
............................................................... > 4000
KMKM
MAXMAX
T/O WEIGHT:
T/O WEIGHT:
................................................ 16.5 16.5
................................................ TONNES LANDING
TONNES LANDING
DISTANCE:
DISTANCE:
.................................................... < 500
.................................................... < 500
M M
THRUST:
THRUST:
..................................................................... 10 TONNES
..................................................................... 10 TONNES ENGINE
ENGINE
REPLACEMENT:
REPLACEMENT:
........................................ < 1<HOUR
........................................ 1 HOUR
PAYLOAD:
PAYLOAD:
................................................................. 6.5 TONNES
................................................................. 6.5 TONNES TURNAROUND
TURNAROUND
TIME:
TIME:
................................................. < 10
................................................. < MIN
10 MIN
MAXMAX
FUEL:
FUEL:
................................................................... 7 TONNES
................................................................... 7 TONNES COST
COST
PER
PER
FLIGHT
FLIGHT
HOUR:
HOUR:
........................................ < $<3000
........................................ $ 3000
SUPER
SUPER
CRUISE:
CRUISE:
...................................................... > MACH
...................................................... > MACH
1.2 1.2
GRIPEN IN
 “Defence Purchases should be a matter of
investment in the economy, not expenditure”
J
oanna Sjölander, a car buff and mother of a three-
year-old, is Gripen India’s in-country campaign
director looking after the strategic and operational
requirements that make up a campaign of this scale.
Daughter of a Solidarity Union leader from Poland who
was expelled during the days of the transformation that
inspired and changed the world, Joanna’s adopted country
Sweden has given her a deep appreciation of the value that
technology plays in a nation’s independence. Working
closely with Saab teams from India and Sweden, Joanna
is translating into reality her belief that a fighter aircraft
sale is not merely about selling defence equipment but a
huge opportunity for cooperation between the industries
of the two countries.
Are you prepared to transfer all technologies and
‘know how’ (including source codes) to India, to Joanna Sjölander, Gripen India in-Country Director
ensure India’s independent operation of Gripen?
Yes, we will. Saab has proven experience with Transfer basis, we are currently working with a number of large
of Technology (ToT), having delivered comprehensive Indian companies and we see them as our partners on a
ToT packages to customers such as South Africa. long term basis. We see the Indian industry willing to
Saab will provide ToT to not only enable India to produce invest, share risk and manufacture products which are
the Gripen IN fighter indigenously, as required in the globally competitive.
RFP, but also the ability to further develop the Gripen IN. How will India benefit from buying the Gripen from
A substantial part of the work associated with the an economic point of view?
manufacture of Gripen IN will be transferred to India. We believe that defence purchases should no longer be
With regard to offset, what have you proposed in your for the buying country a question of capital expenditure
bid response? but an issue of capital investment.
Saab together with the Swedish government has Any fighter development
committed to working together with India to deliver programme has a large civilian This offset
technology and economic spill-
over. According to a recent study will meet, or
industrial co-operation programmes that are tailor-made
to meet India’s needs.
by Professor Gunnar Eliasson, exceed, the
Our industrial co-operation package offers to Indian
the civilian value created around
Gripen was at least 2.6 times the requirements
defence companies direct involvement in the Gripen
continuous development programme. This offset will
investment over the entire period. in the RFP,
meet, or exceed, the requirements in the RFP, and will
This essentially means that if a
enhance Indian economic growth with future engagement
buying country becomes a partner
and will
for industry in a wide range of related, as well as non-
in the development of such an enhance Indian
defence sectors.
advanced technological product
Saab has a proven track record in more than 20 countries
as a fighter aircraft, the overall
economic
economic spillover into civilian growth
and has always succeeded in fulfilling its industrial co-
operation commitments e.g. in South Africa, Hungary,
sectors is far larger than the capital
and the Czech Republic.
expenditure.
How do you see Indian companies working with Saab Simple offsets do not attain those goals and, therefore,
on the fighter programme? we are embarking on replicating our efforts in other
We have identified partner companies who will be countries by working with Indian industry to create
working on the Gripen India programme, developing and products and systems that have a far larger economic
participating in the future of the platform. On an overall growth impact.
19

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 “Futuristic fantasy?
Reality for us!”
O
ne thing is certain about the future, which is that
the future is uncertain! Recent conflicts have
shown that there is a growing complexity which
put demands on the way to apply military power. Things
one would not believe some years ago are suddenly
standard operations. We have seen many new applications
of Air Power in recent decades and nothing tells us that
this path will end. New and improved technologies will
enter the air power arena and we at Saab and Gripen,
with leading edge thinking, are committed to keep ahead
amongst the best.
In 1957 Saab first introduced the data link in a fighter.
Fifty-five years later, Saab still hold that position as the
premium creator of Net Centric fighters. In the Gripen
IN, a future Indian Air Force pilot will not just be able to
take part in the future Indian Defence Network – he will
be that node which also makes other network participants
even more effective by sharing and offering information
and intelligence.

THE GRIPEN HUMAN MACHINE INTERFACE

FLIGHT DATA DISPLAY
Provides flight data and system status information
about engine, fuel and external stores. It also
serves as the Electronic Warfare Display.

HANDS ON THROTTLE AND STICK (HOTAS)

HOTAS is used to fly the fighter and control
displays and weapon systems during flight and
combat.

HEAD UP DISPLAY
Just look ahead and you’ll see flight data,
steering commands, aiming information, etc. All
superimposed on the outside world at all altitudes.

HORIZONTAL SITUATION DISPLAY

Directly in front of you, the Horizontal Situation
Display provides navigational and tactical mission
data superimposed on an electronic map of
selectable scale.

UP FRONT CONTROL PANEL

Provides the pilot with access to decision support
data, navigation data and target acquisition data.
It is also the primary communications panel.

MULTI SENSOR DISPLAY

Here you see information from the radar and
other sensors. Flight and fire control data are
superimposed.

20

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 Gripen IN - an important node in the Indian Future Defence Network

In the future network, we will not see

“Calling up a fighter”: just different platforms. In that network
sharing sensor images we will see different kinds of advanced
within the network.
missiles which will be exchanged between
participants.
Saab’s weapon data-link network
solution supports joint operations and the
precision engagement of moving targets
through in-flight retargeting, handover
between different users, battle damage
indication and mission abort. Such
implementations support handover of
data-link base stations in-flight, enabling
joint fire control between the firing unit
and forward observer.
The Gripen IN Net Centric approach
creates new possibilities for air-ground
and air-sea operations in a modern,
futuristic Armed Force. Imagine an
infantry soldier “calling up a Gripen IN”
to increase his ‘Situational Awareness.’
Futuristic fantasy? Reality for us!
Peter Nilsson
Former Lt. Col. and Commander of the Swedish
Gripen Operational Test and Evaluation Unit
Swedish Air Force

21
 The IAF and the
Next Generation of Air Defence
E
nd of the Cold War and breakup of the Soviet years this fleet will suffer attrition owing to ageing and
Union created a uni-polar world, with the USA technological obsolescence. The only multi-role aircraft
assuming the role of the ‘world’s policeman’ remaining are the Mirage 2000 and the upgraded MiG-21
from the mid 1990s. The situation changed with the 9/11 Bison, the latter with very limited payload and range. The
terrorist attacks on the USA itself and commencement of indigenous Tejas LCA will not be available in adequate
the ‘War on Terror’ in Iraq and Afghanistan. These wars, numbers for another decade. Hence the ongoing search for
which have drained the US treasury, plus the economic 126 Medium-Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (M-MRCA),
crisis of September 2008, have however greatly limited with possibly repeat orders envisaged.
the ability of the USA to continue in such a role. Protection of national airspace from airborne threats is
India has meanwhile acquired economic muscle and one of the most important functions of an air force. This
could increase its military power for protection of its vital requires a multi-tiered air defence network consisting of
interests including those relating to energy security. The manned aircraft, long and short range missile systems,
Indian Armed Forces are acquiring increasing capability radars, communication links, electronic warfare capability
to operate well beyond national borders to protect sea and force multipliers like Airborne Warning and Control
lanes of commerce from the Straits of Hormuz to the System (AWACS) and aerial refuelling tankers. A manned
Malacca Straits. Protection of its island territories in the
Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea also require attention.
Continuing its long tradition of not getting involved in
‘power block politics’, India has to maintain its strategic
independence and be prepared for a two-front limited war
below the nuclear threshold against nations against which
it continues to have territorial and border disputes.
The Indian Air Force will play a dominant role in
this scenario and its combat muscle must assuredly
be strengthened with new generation fighters that are
affordable in relatively large numbers and available for
rapid deployment across the vast sub continent. In other
words the IAF needs both ‘quality’ and ‘quantity’. The
optimum number of combat squadrons required by the
IAF has been put at 45, this figure first arrived at by
the JRD Tata Committee set up
by the Government of India in
...hence the 1963. Nearly five decades later,
ongoing this is the time to meet this vital
requirement.
search for Having decided to induct the
126 Medium- Su-30 inairlargedominance
heavy Sukhoi
numbers, what the
Multi-Role IAF needs to complement this is a
Combat Aircraft state-of-the-art multi-role fighter of
the 15-20 ton class. The rationale
(M-MRCA), for this class of multi-role fighter
with possibly is that the IAF fighter fleet today
repeat orders has too many single-role fighters
like the MiG-29 interceptor, the
envisaged low level strike Jaguar and tactical
air support MiG-27. In the coming
22

19-25 Gripen Supplement m.indd 22 7/15/2010 12:25:03 PM

 aircraft which can perform Beyond Visual Range (BVR) employ this force against any
and Within Visual Range (WVR) engagements and also country which threatens Indian
switch to a strike role whilst airborne (‘swing-role’), which interests without compromise
The Swedish
will give IAF planners a never before available degree of or being held hostage by the Gripen NG is
flexibility. The unique attribute of air power is the ability country of origin of the aircraft. seen as being
to concentrate decisive strength in time and space which Total transfer of manufacturing
can then be exploited to the maximum extent possible to and technology, meeting offset perhaps the
achieve military objectives. For the very first time since commitments and providing only aircraft
the establishment of the IAF in 1933 such an aircraft will software codes unconditionally
be available when the M-MRCA enters the IAF fleet in will be an essential prerequisite type which will
quantity. Finally, the IAF will have credible air power to for the IAF. deliver all that
In a general overview of
react to a two front war situation.
the options amongst the six
the IAF needs
The debate about the merits of twin versus a single
engined fighter has never been satisfactorily resolved. contenders for the M-MRCA for the
However what is certain is that the life cycle cost of contract, the Swedish Gripen NG M-MRCA
ownership of a twin-engined fighter will be significantly is seen as being perhaps the only
higher than that of a single-engined one. In addition aircraft type which will deliver
to low cost of ownership, good serviceability, low all that the IAF needs for the M-MRCA, including the
maintenance and logistics footprints and the desired net vital requisite of maintaining strategic independence and
centric operational capability are what is required. Finally at an affordable cost.
whichever aircraft is acquired, the IAF should be able to Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar (retd.)

23

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“ The Investment L
arge, sophisticated and complex industrial
development projects always require that a number
of technological problems be solved along the

in Gripen’s
way. All advanced production is therefore surrounded
by a “cloud of new technology”, so called technological
spillovers, that are available to other fi rms in proportion
to their ability to capture and commercialise them.

development Military aircraft development projects belong to the most

advanced of these.
In a recent study, Gunnar Eliasson concludes that the

has been paid

development investment of the Saab Gripen has been
returned to Sweden in the form of additional social value
creation, or economic growth at least 2.6 times over.

back at least
This is in creation of new industrial knowledge during
a military project that has made additional civilian
production possible, which would not have come about
in the absence of the military project.

2.6 times over ” In his new book Advanced Public Procurement as

Industrial Policy – The Aircraft Industry as a Technical
University, Professor Gunnar Eliasson
illustrates through case
studies how this has been
possible and how the new
technologies created during
the course of development
of the Saab Gripen system,
have been diffused through
the Swedish economy and
formed the technological base
for new civilian production
programmes.
Gunnar Eliasson emphasises
two particular circumstances

Gunnar Eliasson, Professor Emeritus in
Industrial Economics/Dynamics at the Royal
Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm
and Senior Researcher at the RATIO Institute
and at the Swedish Entreprenurship Forum,
Stockholm, Sweden.
for this positive outcome for the Swedish economy. First,
he emphasises the role of a competent customer, in this
case the Swedish military procurement agency the FMV
for maximum civilian spillovers for each krona invested
development. Second, he carefully elaborates the
important role of local entrepreneurial or commercialising

24
 competences in the economy, to maximise the
exploitation of such ‘cloud of technology.’
Investigating the macro-economic significance of
the “cloud” of technological spillovers that surrounds
advanced industrial product development, Professor
Eliasson says, “I have investigated such spillover
generation around development of the Swedish
combat aircraft Gripen aggregating case study data on
identified civilian spillovers from that development
project. Most of the spillovers have been captured
and commercialised by the firms directly involved in
Gripen development (Saab, Volvo Aero and Ericsson),
others by outsider firms.”
“I have found that the civilian values created around
the Gripen, net of opportunity costs and cumulated
for the entire period, divided by the R&D investment,
similarly cumulated (the spillover multiplier) is
at least 2.6. This means that the development
investment has been returned to Swedish society at
least 2.6 times over in the form of additional economic
growth,” concludes Professor Eliasson.
According to Professor Eliasson, “All advanced
firms engage in joint production when developing
new products. They develop a double product; the
product really procured and developed plus the cloud
of spillovers, available to other firms for free, the value
of which to the local economy is proportional to their
ability to commercialise them.”
Swedish Aircraft industry was started as part of the
Swedish defence effort in the 1930s, in preparation for
25
19-25 Gripen Supplement m.indd 25
the situation expected to come. At that time Sweden
was an industrialised nation, but not a leading industrial
economy.
As a not planned for, but positive side effect, the Saab
company has been an impressive technology generator
that has helped to catapult Swedish manufacturing
industry to several leading positions in the postwar
period. Part of the spillovers have been picked up
and successfully commercialised in other companies
within Saab, but the most important success stories
have occurred outside the Saab Group.
One of Gunnar Eliasson’s themes is that advanced
product development not only distinguishes itself
by being surrounded by a “cloud of technology
spillovers” available to external users in proportion to
their competence to commercialise them but also that
Swedish aircraft industry, the core of which is Saab,
has functioned as a ‘technical university’ for Swedish
industry at large.
An industrial cooperation programme therefore
delivers benefits far in excess of the investment
negotiated in the contract. With some $100 billion
defence purchases being planned by the Government
of India, by that yardstick, over $260 billion of
additional civilian spillover benefits stand to be
earned. With such economic stimulus, India will not
only see a fundamental shift in defence technology but
experience a cascade of economic benefits by which
defence development projects would actually be paid
back to society.
7/15/2010 12:25:26 PM
 ‘Roar of the Gripen ...’
Flying Sweden’s Top Gun fighter
W
hen most people think about Sweden ... they
think ... may be ... beautiful countryside ... the
extreme cold ... Abba ... perhaps Santa Claus ...
It’s not often that people outside
It was very Sweden know about the role of
Saab in manufacturing state of
much a dream the art military aircraft spanning
come true several decades. In fact, Saab has
been building aircraft since 1937
and some of the jets they have produced including the
Draken and the Viggen have been widely considered the
finest in the world in their class. Some of the engineering
solutions the Swedes came up, given their own tactical
requirements during the Cold War, remain cutting edge
till this day. The JAS 37 Viggen had the ability to use
reverse thrust before landing enabling the use of narrow
roads constructed in Sweden which doubled as wartime
runways. Today, the JAS 39 Gripen retains the ability
to land on roads deep in the hinterland, then refuel,
26
rearm and take off in less than ten minutes but with
aerodynamic and braking advances, it does this without
the use of a reverse thrust system.
When I was offered the opportunity to ride back-seat
in a Gripen D a few years ago, it was very much a dream
come true. We were planning an ambitious series to air
on our channel NDTV 24x7 called The Jet Set and I was
not terribly optimistic that the Swedes would be willing to
open up their most advanced fighter to us. Few civilians
not linked to the Gripen programme had even seen the jet
and there was no set procedure in place for Saab to get me
permission to get a ride on one. Fortunately though, the
folks at Saab were able to convince the Swedish Air Force
and the Swedish government to grant me permission for
a one off sortie for which an Air Force Gripen D was
positioned at Saab’s facilities at Linköping.
But before I could get into the Gripen, I would need to
check out various systems in a Gripen dome simulator in
addition to being given a full safety briefing. My pilot for
the sortie, Major Johan Sjöstrand, a test pilot with Saab,
took me through the paces on the simulator.
To be sure, I am not a pilot, just a ‘flying journalist’ and
aviation enthusiast lucky to have flown more than a dozen
sorties on fighters. I also have significant hours logged on
Microsoft Flight Simulator X, perhaps the most advanced
simulator commercially available for PCs and while that
isn’t a patch on the real experience of being a pilot, its
enough to give an enthusiast an authentic feel. To that end,
flying the Gripen dome simulator wasn’t very difficult once
Johan started up the jet! Most impressive was the landing
performance of the fighter ... as easy as point, engage
auto-throttle and land. I didn’t for a moment believe the
simulated landing performance of the jet would be the real
thing. I would be pleasantly surprised.
Being kitted out was next on the cards and unlike the
overall-G suit combo on other jets, I would be required to
wear an immersion suit in the event that we needed to bail
out over the cold seas around the Swedish archipelago.
The Gripen g-suit is a comprehensive piece of kit. In
addition to the inflatable waist and leg component of the
g-suit, there is also an inflatable bladder over the pilot’s
chest with a forced air feed into the mask of the pilot to
better deal with the effects of high g-manoeuvres.
That done, it was time for a quick briefing and then
on to my ride. Johan drove me to the Gripen in style, in
his personal Saab 9-5 - it’s a gorgeous car but the jet we
drove to was even more gorgeous!

26-32 Gripen Supplement m.indd 26 7/15/2010 12:28:25 PM

 After start up, we taxied out from the Saab base in
Linköping, lined up for take off and almost blasted off
with Johan slamming on the burner. We went straight
into the vertical pushing 5g before settling down to a high
speed - low altitude sortie off the Swedish archipelago.
This would be the most exhilarating sortie in my life.
As we raced across the skies literally skimming the
surface of the sea, we rapidly approached a large cargo
carrier which we flew alongside before going vertical
again. With altitude now on our side, Johan handed over
controls to me warning me that the controls were super
sensitive. A snap roll to the left with little effort on the
stick followed by some steep left and right banks took
me to 7g in no time at all. The Gripen’s stick, though not
pressure actuated in the same manner as the stick of the
F-16, takes the jet to 7g after which a warning chime
sounds. Punching through the 7g barrier means
applying considerably pressure on the stick but the jet
responds instantly. This is well and truly a 9g fighter, as
manoeuvrable as any non-thrust vectored jet.
After a brief avionics session, where Johan
demonstrated the moving map display and set up the
MFD to demonstrate how data links work, it was time to
head back to Linköping to showcase a quick refuel, rearm
and take off sequence.
As we approached the base, Johan said he would
demonstrate the full braking capability of the jet. Unlike
many other fighters, the Gripen features nose wheel
brakes in addition to additional braking provided by the
canards which act as large spoilers on touch down. It’s all
a pretty straight forward process. With the auto-throttle
engaged, and the jet set in landing mode with the gear
27
26-32 Gripen Supplement m.indd 27
down, all the pilot essentially does is guide the jet to a
pre-selected touch down point on his HUD. The moment
the jet lands, the canards and brakes activate and the jet
lurches forward violently to decelerate in a few hundred
metres.
Quickly moving the fighter off the runway, Johan
stopped the jet and demonstrated hot refuelling where
we picked up fuel and simulated rearming the fighter
without actually switching off
the engine. In minutes, we were
ready to depart and repeat our This would
sortie briefly. This time, Johan be the most
demonstrates different modes
of the radar. Sure, this wasn’t exhilarating
the Selex Vixen AESA that the sortie in my life
Gripen Demo prototype uses,
but the performance of the Gripen C/D’s Ericsson PS-05/A
radar is comparable to the best of the West with a fairly
robust long range pick track and scan capability.
Soon though, its time to call it a day. Two sorties rolled
into one courtesy the hot refuelling would be enough for
the purposes of our documentary shoot and the footage
we picked up was quite spectacular. Later that evening
over drinks and dinner, I am given a Gripen patch and an
‘Order of Gripen’ verse, given only to those privileged
enough to fly Sweden’s top gun.
Vishnu Som is Senior Anchor and Associate Editor with
NDTV. He has flown on 4 of the 6 fighters competing in the
M-MRCA programme in addition to several other
fighters, transports and helicopters with Air Forces
around the world. He wrote this for Vayu Aerospace &
Defence Review.
7/15/2010 12:28:26 PM
 The Commander’s Dream
F
irst and foremost, the very raison de ’etre of having
an Air Force is to generate air power to defend
its nation and secure its interests. The Ai­r Force
concept of operations includes air operations from air
bases, protecting those bases, working cooperatively with
the other Services, allies, coalitions and security partners.
The very most important factor in generating air
power is systems reliability and availability.
Gripen IN is made for flying! While many other platforms
require extensive maintenance to fly every mission, Gripen
is designed and built to minimise maintenance times on the
ground. Together with the fact that other fighters normally
have a failure rate of just 2-5 hours between flights,
the Gripen flies normally nearly eight hours between
failures which allows a Commander having the Gripen
with twice as much assets in the air compared with other
fighters.
Extremely rapid turnarounds, meaning the time
for refuelling and rearming between sorties, gives
Gripen IN a leading position in generating air power. Ten
minutes to refuel and rearm Gripen IN will not leave any
28
26-32 Gripen Supplement m.indd 28
commander disappointed! Ten minutes on the ground for
180 minutes in the air. No one can challenge Gripen on
that, which gives the expression “Fighters do the no good
on the ground” an entirely new meaning!
No one likes to speak about costs, especially not the
competition. As a Commander, one unfortunately has to
consider costs. In the end there is a price to be paid for
capabilities. You have to consider not just the acquisition
of a system, weapon or a sensor but also the costs to train
people on the new system and support of the system over
its lifetime. With fighters we normally talk about at least
a 30 − year lifecycle, which with 200 flight hours per year
comes to around 6000 hours per aircraft. Thus the Indian
Air Force will fly more than 700,000 hours with a six
squadron Gripen fleet through their lifetime. Operating
costs are as important as acquisition costs!
Gripen IN achieves the lowest operating cost of any
modern fighter, with no one near it when comparing
operating costs. Gripen’s flight hour cost is less than
$ 4000. A number you would have to multiply with
at least eight to find out the flight hour cost of the
7/15/2010 12:28:34 PM
 High operational tempo with flexible basing
competition. Gripen’s extremely low flight hour
cost is accomplished by combining advanced system
design and modern commercial off the shelf (COTS)
components with the highly reliable and powerful
General Electric F414G engine.
Gripen IN’s high operational availability, rapid
turnaround and minimal support requirements enables
sustained high sortie rates providing Commander’s an
ability to meet the most demanding of operations with
minimum resources.
The Gripen IN’s capability of operating from small
and dispersed airfields (or even roads) gives the
Commander enormous flexibility. Imagine having the
possibility to deploy your fighter assets close to the
borders or area of operations instead of being forced
to use far in-land bases. This shortens reaction times,
increases endurance over the area and also gives an
advantage of surprising the adversary. Just locate an
800 metre long and 10 metre wide tarmac road and
the Gripen IN will be operational.
Saab’s Gripen
IN will be a
partner of the
Indian Air Force
Commander’s
daily
operational task
of generating
air power
Like military commanders the world over,
an Indian Air Force Commander will focus on
having a flexible and adaptable force that can be
employed over a range of military operations.
The ability to conduct various operations from
peacekeeping to high-end warfighting has to be
developed to meet new challenges and threats,
which gives India the options for using its Air
Force to shape, deter and respond to the strategic
environment in its interest. Saab’s Gripen IN will
be a partner of the Indian Air Force Commander’s
daily operational task of generating air power, a
perfect match with current and future Indian Air
Force assets. The Gripen IN will not disappoint
anyone - except maybe the Indian Air Force’s
future adversaries.
Major Hans Einert
Former Squadron Commander,
Air Combat Development Unit
Swedish Air Force

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 Synergetic Air Combat
Leading Unmanned Combat Airborne Vehicles

N
ormally two-seater fighter aircraft are designed as
operational conversion trainers with the instructor
pilot at the back and the student in the front. This is
not the case with the Gripen IN. The Gripen IN two-seater is
much more. It is a true Force Multiplier, increasing fighting
Strike package: Gripen NG and Neuron UCAV
30
capabilities. The two-seater is
identical with the single seater
in terms of avionics, sensors
and payloads, so what you can
do in a single seater you can do
in a twin seater.
However, as to whom will
sit in the back seat is up to the
operator. Different customers
consider a wide spectrum of
specialists in the back seat. Saab
is building the back seat cockpit
with a flexible approach. Some
Air Forces will put a Mission
Commander in the back seat to
lead the strike package. Others
will put an Electronic Warfare
or Reconnaissance specialist in
the back seat. Having a Mission
Commander in the back seat
commanding the fighting element
is a very interesting concept. By
adding the Gripen’s Network
capabilities, we suddenly have
the possibilities to share sensors
within the fighting element.
Perhaps the most futuristic
concept with the two-seater
Gripen IN is the possibility for
it to lead UCAVs (Unmanned
Combat Airborne Vehicles). Saab
AB will launch the NEURON
at the beginning of this decade
together with partners and one
can be certain that during the M-
MRCA operational service, there
will be UCAVs flying alongside
manned-fighters. The synergetic
package of Gripen INs and
UCAVs will bring unthought of
capabilities and applications of
Air Power.
Lt. Col. Peter Nilsson,
Former Lt. Col. and Commander of the
Swedish Gripen Operational Test
and Evaluation Unit
Swedish Air Force

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 “We would like to be seen
as an Indian Company”
S
aab’s India country head is at home in the rarified
world of high technology aviation programmes,
having been associated with Boeing, British
Aerospace and Airbus. With a long relationship with
Sweden and Swedish industry, Inderjit has taken
the lead in Saab’s most compelling proposition in
any defence procurement programme: industrial
cooperation. Working closely with the Saab team,
Inderjit has forged strong relationships between Saab
and Indian industry across the entire range of Saab’s
portfolio and interest in Indian programmes. As Saab
offers its high-technology products to the armed forces
in the spectrum ranging from advanced camouflage
gear to sophisticated radar and tank and helicopter
anti-missile interception systems, Inderjit helps drive
the Saab product, promise and intent of developing a
joint manufacturing base. Inderjit Sial, Country Head

What is Saab’s India gameplan? However, we believe that while offsets do meet the
For Saab, India is now deemed as a home market. What requirement of a return on expenditure for a country, it
that means is long term commitment to investments in is not adequate in developing an industrial base in the
India and taking advantage of India’s manufacturing purchasing country because companies shut down and
skills and cost structures to the world. move on once offsets are met.
Equally important, for all major future programmes, we Saab believes that offsets
will partner an Indian company either through a teaming must transition to industrial Saab believes
cooperation to create a
agreement or through a joint venture. We will share
technology with these companies, localize production sustainable industry that that offsets
and offer it to both Indian and global customers. enables the purchasing country must transition
to deliver to an economic need.
We believe that these will deliver large benefits to
Saab as much as it will to Indian companies. For one, by In the case of large acquisition to industrial
bringing our production to India, local adaptation will programmes like the M-MRCA, cooperation
Saab believes that the net result
be easier and faster by being closer to our customers
here. should be the creation of a to create a
For us, India is more than a market. It is one of Saab’s defence industrial base that will sustainable
ensure that the country does not
home bases and, therefore, the focus is not simply on
winning bids but on building business in partnership need to look out for its future industry that
with reliable Indian partners across the entire hierarchy fighter requirements. enables the
of manufacturers, all the way from strategic partners to
What opportunities are Saab purchasing
sub-component suppliers.
Saab is looking at the Indian Industry as their potential
pursuing in India?
Saab has a wide portfolio
country to
partner in product development for the world market.
of products and we are in deliver to an
We believe that the Indian Industry has the necessary
capability and can absorb the state of the art technology
dialogue with the armed
forces and homeland security
economic need
for manufacturing world class products. forces for a whole range
What is Saab’s appreciation of the offset requirement? of sophisticated equipment, including camouflage, battle
Offsets are a fact of defence sales today anywhere in the management systems, advanced surveillance and foliage
world. They are legal commitments and must be met. penetrating radars, naval and coast guard systems, Integrated
Saab has never failed an offset obligation and we are Defensive Aids Suite (IDAS) for the Indian Advanced
fully confident that we will be able to fulfil the demanding Light Helicopter Dhruv, Land Electronic Defense systems,
offset commitments. multi-mission surveillance systems, among others.
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 gripen
– the independent choice

NAME GRIPEN
FUNCTION multi-role fighter
domain AIR operations

www.saabgroup.com

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