<p>The global aerospace and defence company SAAB had organised a unique contest during Aero-India 2011, which had allowed the winning contestant the privilege of co-piloting the Gripen, Sweden’s newest multi-role jet fighter.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Contestants were tested in various aerospace-related issues and had to qualify on a flight simulator. Shashank H R, a 20-year-old engineering student from Bangalore, had won the contest and co-piloted a Gripen captained by SAAB pilot Robin Norlander. At the time, SAAB had been hoping to win India’s multi-billion dollar Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft.<br /><br />Director of SAAB India, Eddy le da Motte, had touted the contest as a means to win the hearts and minds of the public and the government. “It’s just not our style to fly celebrities; we wanted to fly Indian citizens and sell our fighter to the nation,” he said.<br /><br />Although India rejected SAAB’s bid in favour of France’s Dassault Rafale fighter, SAAB continues to show interest in the Indian market. This year, the ninth edition of Aero-India, scheduled to take place between February 6 and 10, SAAB has announced its intention to bring a host of products, including the Gripen. “SAAB will participate in full strength at Aero-India 2013 being held at the Yelahanka Air Base, Bangalore,” a company spokesperson said.<br /><br />The firm is expected to present a series of products covering land, air, naval and civil security system at the air show. “Aero-India 2013 will be marked with a series of interesting opportunities to get to know and engage with SAAB,” the company said.<br /><br />Among other things, SAAB’s display will include the new man-portable air defence system, the RBS 70 NG VSHORAD, which can be used in all weather conditions. The company has also declared its intention to showcase the Bamse Automatic Command-to-Line-of-Sight missile system, which it claims is one of the few systems in the world that has been developed as a dedicated ground-based air-defence missile system. “With Bamse, you are protected against a wide variety of modern threats, including stealth and small targets,” the company said.<br /><br />SAAB will also display other innovative weapons system such as the anti-shipping and anti-tank missile systems, besides other non-weapons technology such as Camosphere tents, a mobile camouflage system. Scale models of aircraft (including the Gripen) will also be present, in addition to systems displays and simulators for such things as tank crew training, heads-up displays and situational awareness terminals for naval vessels. <br /></p>
<p>The global aerospace and defence company SAAB had organised a unique contest during Aero-India 2011, which had allowed the winning contestant the privilege of co-piloting the Gripen, Sweden’s newest multi-role jet fighter.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Contestants were tested in various aerospace-related issues and had to qualify on a flight simulator. Shashank H R, a 20-year-old engineering student from Bangalore, had won the contest and co-piloted a Gripen captained by SAAB pilot Robin Norlander. At the time, SAAB had been hoping to win India’s multi-billion dollar Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft.<br /><br />Director of SAAB India, Eddy le da Motte, had touted the contest as a means to win the hearts and minds of the public and the government. “It’s just not our style to fly celebrities; we wanted to fly Indian citizens and sell our fighter to the nation,” he said.<br /><br />Although India rejected SAAB’s bid in favour of France’s Dassault Rafale fighter, SAAB continues to show interest in the Indian market. This year, the ninth edition of Aero-India, scheduled to take place between February 6 and 10, SAAB has announced its intention to bring a host of products, including the Gripen. “SAAB will participate in full strength at Aero-India 2013 being held at the Yelahanka Air Base, Bangalore,” a company spokesperson said.<br /><br />The firm is expected to present a series of products covering land, air, naval and civil security system at the air show. “Aero-India 2013 will be marked with a series of interesting opportunities to get to know and engage with SAAB,” the company said.<br /><br />Among other things, SAAB’s display will include the new man-portable air defence system, the RBS 70 NG VSHORAD, which can be used in all weather conditions. The company has also declared its intention to showcase the Bamse Automatic Command-to-Line-of-Sight missile system, which it claims is one of the few systems in the world that has been developed as a dedicated ground-based air-defence missile system. “With Bamse, you are protected against a wide variety of modern threats, including stealth and small targets,” the company said.<br /><br />SAAB will also display other innovative weapons system such as the anti-shipping and anti-tank missile systems, besides other non-weapons technology such as Camosphere tents, a mobile camouflage system. Scale models of aircraft (including the Gripen) will also be present, in addition to systems displays and simulators for such things as tank crew training, heads-up displays and situational awareness terminals for naval vessels. <br /></p>
