STOCKHOLM, Sweden, July 2 (UPI) -- Saab said Wednesday it has submitted a proposal to Swiss defense officials to address plans to replace the country's fighter aircraft.

Sweden-based Saab submitted a proposal with details about its Gripen aircraft to the armasuisse, the Swiss department for procurement of technologically complex systems and defense technology.

Switzerland announced in January plans to replace its F-5E/F Tiger fighter aircraft. Specific details concerning the number of aircraft being replaced was not released, but Swiss officials say that Saab's Gripen is one of three potential replacement possibilities.

"Switzerland is yet another example of the strong interest for Gripen worldwide," Ake Svensson, Saab chief executive officer, said in a statement.

"Our proposal meets all the requirements put forward by armasuisse. The Gripen proposal offers Switzerland the most cost-effective and proportionate replacement for the F-5E/F and moreover a perfect force fit with existing F/A-18 C/D. The proposal also features long-term viable industrial co-operation at 100 percent of the contract value."

http://www.upi.com/Security_Industry/2008/07/02/Saab_submits_proposal_to_Switzerland/UPI-90841215038624/

http://www.saabgroup.com/en/MediaRelations/News/2008/a_great_interest_in_gripen.htm

2008-07-02 | Switzerland is interested in purchasing new aircraft to replace their F-5E Tigers. A proposal was submitted today and during the course of the year Gripen and its competitors, Rafale and Eurofighter, will participate in evaluations in Switzerland. Gripen’s evaluation will take place during July and August.

Marketing activities worldwide

Gripen has had an intensive first half of the year with marketing activities operating in parallel in 20 countries. On the 28th April tenders were submitted to both Norway (through the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, FMV) and India, and recently the Brazilian Air Force has restarted the process of renewing its aircraft fleet. Saab is one of five aircraft manufacturers who have been invited to submit information.

The Netherlands and India
In addition, the Netherlands recently turned to Saab with requests regarding Gripen. Like Norway and Denmark, the Royal Netherlands Air Force operates F-16 fighters and is involved in the American JSF-project (Joint Strike Fighter).

In addition to the Gripen response submitted in April, Saab will also submit an industrial cooperation proposal to the Indian government at the beginning of August.

“The increasing international interest is evidence of the confidence in the Gripen programme. The last few years have been extremely successful, and the world has realised that Saab is a long term player that will be driving the development of fighter aircraft over the next 40 years,” says Gripen International’s marketing manager Bob Kemp.



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I think that Dassault has finally realized (with the marocco story) that they need a small single engine fighter in their range of offer.

If it's confirmed that they're going to buy back a lot of Mirage 2000-5MK2 and 2000-9 from Greece and UAE (as some rumors say), life is going to be thougher for SAAB.

The Gripen hunt on traditional Dassault field and it was unwise to let it down (though hard for a small company like Dassault to make the Rafale and a successor of the 2000 simultaneously)

Yeah... modern Mirage 2000's on the market could be irritation but at the same time it's about a whole package... weaponization issue and still the US dumping F-16 everywhere... Sweden also wont penetrate the arab market with gripen, most of its targeted countries fly US jets and use US weapons or fly russian and want new jets with US weapons.

Seriously I have no idea what will happen with the market.. but I think France should spend money on getting amraam and sidewinder on the Rafale, it's my view that many countries want that fundamental ability no matter how good any other missiles might be... they want to be compatible with the US. If it's at home or on international missions.



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