Sweden asks Saab to study ‘future fighter concepts’
As Stockholm plots its way forward, Saab CEO Micael Johansson had called for such a study in a previous interview with Breaking Defense.
As Stockholm plots its way forward, Saab CEO Micael Johansson had called for such a study in a previous interview with Breaking Defense.
“We were asked to put in our offer and then they [the NATO Support and Procurement Agency] didn't really go into discussion with us, because they had already decided they had to go and buy Wedgetail," Micael Johansson, CEO at Saab told Breaking Defense.
Hungary was the third country, behind Sweden and Czech Republic to operate the Gripen C/D planes, initially acquired under a lease agreement for 12 single seaters (Gripen C) and a pair of two seaters (Gripen D).
The company has incurred some $1.3 billion in charges on the delayed program, but a senior official at the Dubai Airshow sees much clearer skies ahead.
NATO's decision to procure six Wedgetails gives another victory on the global market to Boeing's surveillance aircraft.
Despite not talking to Boeing about development of a F-7 armed light attack aircraft based off the T-7A Red Hawk, a USAF official has revealed the service is interested in such a concept, and could look to replace older F-16s with it.
A decision has not been made so far on an Initial Operating Capability (IOC) date for a future fighter, but a wide range of planning activities will inform the 2031 procurement decision, an official said.
"A specific step was to start negotiations with the aim of achieving the lowest possible price and at the same time the shortest possible delivery date,” said Jana Cernochova, Czech Republic’s minister of defense.
The $5 billion deal would see Prague get all 24 F-35As by 2035, while seeking to extend a lease of older Saab Gripen jets thorough that date.
In an exclusive interview with Breaking Defense, CEO Micael Johansson said he and other European industry leaders also need "clearer objectives" and coordination from NATO and European governments amid the widespread push for munitions.
“I would consider any partner that will step up and say that ‘we're really interested in this’ because that would probably accelerate our process," said Saab's Johan Hagg of the workstation.
Dean Rosenfield, group managing director at Saab UK, told media that the acquisition was part of a “deliberate strategy” to grow and expand business in Britain.
Amsterdam plans on acquiring four diesel-electric submarines equipped with US Tomahawk long range missiles to provide a “niche capability within NATO and the EU,” a spokesperson for Netherlands State Secretary of Defense Van der Maat, told Breaking Defense in a statement.
Asked about the timeline floated by an L3Harris official, a NATO spokesperson told Breaking Defense the alliance is still assessing "the way ahead."
Poland is underway with a massive spending spree to modernize its military, from tanks to surveillance planes.