Saab and the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) have signed a contract concerning additional equipment for the production of Gripen E.
The order value amounts to approximately 2.9 billion Swedish kronor, equivalent to 260 million euros.
To ensure the operational continuity of the entire Swedish Gripen C/D fleet, concurrently with the delivery and introduction of the newly produced Gripen E in the Swedish Armed Forces, FMV is acquiring new equipment to be used in the Swedish order of 60 Gripen E fighters.
The new contract supplements the original Gripen E contract, signed in February 2013, which was based on the intention to reuse some equipment from the Gripen C/D fleet in service with the Swedish Armed Forces.
Due to the global situation, and in order to maintain the freedom of action necessary to potentially support Ukraine with the JAS 39 Gripen in a later stage, FMV has consequently signed an agreement with Saab to produce such equipment from scratch.
Therefore, based on the new contract, the entire series of 60 JAS 39 Gripen E aircraft will be primarily constructed with newly produced equipment.
Source and photo credit @Saab
