Gripen Delivers Norwegian Bid – With a Twist

JAS-39N CAP Concept(click to view full) After Dassault’s Rafale was disqualified, and EADS’ Eurofighter pulled out, the battle to supply Norway’s 48 F-16 replacements has come down to a straight shootout between the F-35A Lightning II, and Sweden’s upgraded JAS-39N. See “F-35 Lightning II Faces Continued Dogfights in Norway” for more. Gripen International has now delivered its bid to the Norwegian government, on the same day that it submitted its bid for India’s much larger MMRCA fighter competition. Dagbladet reported, and Gripen’s release confirmed, that Norway added a new wrinkle to its competition requirements: F-16 of 338 skv(click to view full) “An integral part of the Swedish offer to Norway, is a commitment on the part of the Swedish Government to operate the same advanced version of the Gripen fighter aircraft as offered to Norway, in the event that Norway selects Gripen as its future combat aircraft. This offer creates a win-win situation for both countries, as they would not only share the development costs for the new fighter but would also share future enhancements over the future operational life of Gripen fighter aircraft for the next 30-40 years.” Saab CEO Ake Svensson also announced significant industrial offset commitments: “We […]