Yesterdaythe Swedish Armed Forces presented their will to upgrade Gripen, and a clear commitment to Gripen as the backbone of the Swedish Air Force was also expressed.

According to the Swedish Armed Forces the upgraded Gripen will have a larger airframe and a more powerful engine, allowing the aircraft to carry more weapons and more fuel, which leads to higher efficiency and endurance. A more sophisticated radar and improved countermeasures were also suggested.

“We are delighted by the commitment to Gripen and pleased to see that the Armed Forces recommends a further development of Gripen. It is important that the Gripen system can be upgraded in a cost-efficient way to meet the future requirements of the Swedish Armed Forces, and I am proud that Saab can offer such a competitive alternative,” says Lennart Sindahl, Senior Vice President and Head of business area Aeronautics, and adds:

“It is important to remember that the Armed Forces report is a part of a larger process and that it ultimately is a matter of political decisions.”

SAAB press release