Saab (OTC: SAABF) has received an order from the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV) regarding new equipment for Gripen E. This is a supplementary contract to the original Gripen E contract from 2013. The order value amounts to approximately SEK 1.4 billion.
The original contract, regarding development and modification of Gripen E, signed in February 2013, was based on the terms that certain equipment from the existing Gripen C/D fleet within the Swedish Armed Forces should be reused.
Instead of reusing equipment from the Gripen C/D, new equipment is acquired for a part of the total Swedish order of 60 Gripen E aircraft. This approach secures the availability of the Swedish Gripen C/D fleet in service, while Gripen E is being delivered and introduced to the Swedish Armed Forces.
The first Brazilian Gripen E, designated by Brazilian Air Force (FAB) as F-39 Gripen, concluded its first flight in Brazil. The aircraft flew from the airport in Navegantes to Embraer’s facility in Gavião Peixoto. The official presentation of the aircraft is scheduled to take place during the Aviator’s Day and the Brazilian Air Force Day ceremony in Brasilia, celebrated on the 23rd of October.
The President and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security, Jackson Schneider, highlighted the scope of this partnership: “Embraer will play a leading role in the execution of the Gripen programme in Brazil and will be responsible for systems development, integration, flight testing, final assembly, and delivery of the aircraft in support of Brazilian Air Force operations. In terms of technology transfer, the Gripen programme is a great opportunity to increase our knowledge in the development and manufacturing of advanced combat aircraft.”
The Brazilian Minister of Defence, Fernando Azevedo e Silva also highlighted the importance of sharing experiences arising from cooperation between Brazil and Sweden: “Gripen increases the operational capacity of the Brazilian Air Force and promotes a partnership that fosters research and industrial development in both countries,” the Minister of Defence declared.
For the Air Force Commander, Lt. Brig. Antonio Carlos Moretti Bermudez, the arrival of the first F-39 Gripen aircraft is a major milestone for the project: “It is an immense satisfaction for the Brazilian Air Force to see this aircraft flying on national territory. The F-39 Gripen, the new Brazilian Air Force multi-mission aircraft, will be the backbone of Fighter Aviation and it reaffirms the FAB’s commitment to maintaining the country’s sovereignty and to defend the twenty-two million square kilometres under its responsibility”, Lt. Brig. Antonio Carlos Moretti Bermudez points out.
The flight test programme will be expanded to include the Gripen Flight Test Center at Embraer in Gavião Peixoto, which will be fully integrated with the test programme already running at full phase at Saab in Linköping since 2017. Activities in Brazil will include testing of flight control system, environmental control system as well as tests in the aircraft in tropical climate conditions. In addition to the testing that is common for the Gripen E Programme, unique features of the Brazilian aircraft, such as weapons integration as well as the Link BR2 communication system – which provides encrypted data and voice communication between the aircraft – will be tested in Brazil.
The production aircraft will be delivered to the Brazilian Air Force, at Wing 2 in Anápolis (Goiás State), by the end of 2021.
Håkan Buskhe has informed Saab’s Board of Directors that he is leaving the position of President and CEO. The Board will now begin the recruitment of a successor.
Håkan Buskhe has according to his contract a six-month notice period and will continue in his current role for the time being, but will leave Saab by February 2020. The exact date will be determined by the recruitment process that Saab’s Board now is initiating.
“With his great commitment and several strategically important decisions, Håkan Buskhe has laid a strong foundation for the continued positive progress of Saab. The development of Gripen E, Saab’s part in the US T-X project and a sharp increase in capability within the important sensor technological area with i.a. GlobalEye, are some examples of this. Under Håkan Buskhe’s leadership, Saab has also expanded internationally and started collaborations with a number of other leading defence industries. All in all, this means that Saab stands on a solid foundation, which is necessary with the extremely rapid technological developments that affect all industries,” says Marcus Wallenberg, Chairman of the Board.
Håkan Buskhe assumed the role of President and CEO of Saab on September 1, 2010. Håkan Buskhe is 55 years old.
“Saab has grown to a new level and is today a strong international defence and security company. We have achieved this through strategic partnerships, global presence and a continuous focus on investments in the product portfolio. It has been fantastic to lead this work”, says Saab’s President and CEO Håkan Buskhe.
“The reason I choose to leave Saab is that I would like to face another operational challenge in my career. Until a new CEO is in place, I will continue to have full focus on Saab to ensure a smooth arrival for my successor, with the priorities being the implementation of the major projects together with our customers and the continued work to achieve Saab’s financial goals”, concludes Saab’s President and CEO Håkan Buskhe.
