Saab and the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) today signed a contract to ensure continued operability and provide capability upgrades to the JAS 39 Gripen C/D fighter aircraft.
The order value is approximately SEK 3.5 billion (about $340 million) and the contract period is 2023-2029. The contract also includes options that allow FMV to place additional orders for capacity upgrades during 2023.
The enhancements will provide Sweden with a more effective and powerful fighter capability. The aircraft will be equipped with a new version of the engine, which will enhance flight performance. A more effective electronic warfare system will also be introduced and the upgrade will create conditions for increased attack capability with a new payload
The order encompasses an upgrade to Saab’s latest fighter radar, which provides increased performance with emphasis on enhanced fighter capability and extended detection and tracking range. It also includes an upgraded and future-proof avionic system which, among other features, enables fast software updates of the sensor function.
“This upgrade will provide the Swedish Air Force with a significantly stronger fighter capability. The contract is a big leap ahead in terms of radar performance and functionality, both for the hardware and software, and will future-proof the operational capability of Gripen C/D,” says Jonas Hjelm, Head of Saab’s business area Aeronautics.
The capability enhancement will enable better interoperability between Gripen C/D and Gripen E, for example by the upgrade of support systems and data links. Interoperability is a prerequisite as the platforms will be used in parallel over many years.
While the release is not lavish on details, it is assumed that this upgrade would be one step ahead of the MS20 Block 2 upgrade being applied to the 14 Hungarian Gripen C/Ds.
Jumping to AESA?
Among the upgrade possibilities the Swedish Air Force could opt for is the option of replacing the current PS-05/A mechanical radar antenna used on the Gripen C/D fighters with an AESA one.
Saab developed its own AESA radar as an easy and economical modernization option, requiring only a change of the antenna and a software upgrade, so that the Gripen C/D can acquire the same detection capabilities of the latest 4.5 and 5th generation fighters.
Among the most important features of Saab’s radar are the following:
- it uses hundreds of modern TRMs (Transmit/Receive Modules) based on GaN (Gallium Nitride) materials, with higher performance and better energy/thermal efficiency than that used in most current AESA radars.
- Modular and scalable architecture, TRM can be added or removed according to the available space in the radome (can be housed in the nose of a trainer or a heavy fighter).
- Multi-function and multi-platform, a small version can be used for a surveillance UAV or scaled up to the size of airborne early warning (AEW) platforms.
- SAAB’s new radar is not covered by US ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) restrictions, as it uses 100% Swedish technology and the components are built entirely in Sweden at the former Ericsson site in Gothenburg.
