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DID recently covered Pakistan’s billion-dollar contract for S100B Argus Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft, and the platform’s capabilities. Now Saab Aerotech and the Swedish Defense Material Administration (FMV) have signed an agreement for the upgrade of two S100D (Saab 340AEW-200) aircraft currently operated by the Swedish Armed Forces to a new international inter-operational standard. The order is valued at 105 Million Swedish Kronor (about $14.3 million). Under a separate agreement, the FMV has also contracted recent Saab acquisition Ericsson Microwave Systems for project work.
The ASC 890 system will be a NATO compatible command & control platform, and can perform airborne command and control functions for Saab’s JAS-39 Gripen fighters as well as other airborne platforms. Saab will designate the new aircraft as Saab 340 AEW-300, and it will be used for territorial integrity monitoring within Sweden as well as for air and sea surveillance in support of international operations. Work will be performed at Saab Aerotech’s maintenance facilities in Linkoping Sweden beginning in September 2006, and is expected to be completed within 20 months. See Saab corporate release.