Sweden's Saab bullish on India

At Aero India 2015, Saab plans to display an array of products across the land, air, naval and civil domains to stake its claim as a reliable defence partner.

Swedish aerospace and defence major Saab Group is hopeful to make the most of this year’s edition of the biennial Aero India. 

According to Saab India Country Head Lars-Olof Lindgren, “Aero India 2015 is a huge platform for Saab and marks Saab’s fifth presence at the show. At this year’s event, we look forward to connecting with Indian defence forces, homeland security forces, defence research establishments, defence public sector units and the private sector. We believe that it is an exciting place for some very interesting discussions to get rolling, and to put focus on state-of-the-art military technologies and products under one roof.”

Saab’s JAS 39 Gripen was a contender to win the $13- billion Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal to supply 126 aircraft to the Indian Air Force. At Aero India 2015, Saab plans to display an array of products across the Land, Air, Naval and Civil domains in Hall C, at the Yelahanka Air Force Station, Bengaluru. 

Long association with India
Saab has been in India for over three decades, and has been a supplying equipment to the country’s armed forces. All of the company’s business areas are active in India offering high-tech solutions and products such as the C4I, Electronic Warfare (Self Protection Systems), Signature Management, Missile & Weapon Systems, Aeronautical Platforms, Radars, Maritime Security & Civil Security and Training & Simulation Systems.

Boasting of a wide portfolio of products, Saab says it is in dialogue with the armed forces and homeland security forces for a whole range of sophisticated equipment, including avionics, air defence systems, advanced surveillance and foliage penetrating radars, camouflage, battlefield management systems, ground combat systems, naval and coast guard systems, electronic warfare systems and communication equipment.

Saab’s strong suite of cutting-edge systems on offer in India include the RBS 70 NG for the Indian tri-service VSHORAD programme. For the Army SRSAM programme, it has offered the BAMSE system, including the GIRAFFE AMB.

“Saab is already providing the Integrated Defensive Aids Suite (IDAS) for the Advanced Light Helicopter. IDAS is a fully integrated multispectral warning and self-protection system for airborne platforms. We have also offered the RBS 15 anti-ship missile to the Indian Navy. This can be launched from land, air and sea and can be suitably configured as a land attack cruise missile. In addition to this, Saab has also responded to the Navy’s RFI for the mobile coastal missile systems with integrated C2 and RBS 15,” Lindgren says.

Slew of projects, partners
Saab is carrying out a host of projects with companies in India focusing on R&D, machining, composites and aerospace technologies. To name a few, Saab has partnered with BEL, HAL and Pipavav, among others. Saab is an equity investor in Pipavav Defence and Offshore Engineering. Both companies are jointly developing Combat Management Systems in India. Saab, in collaboration with Grintex, has been selected by the Airports Authority of India to deploy Advanced Surface Movement Guidance & Control Systems (A-SMGCS) at five airports in India. The Saab A-SMGCS will enhance situational awareness and runway safety at these growing airports.
Saab is indeed bullish on India. The government had set the country’s military budget at Rs 2.29 lakh crore ($38.35 billion) for 2014-15 in the interim Budget, and indeed this market is huge.