Saab proposes tech sharing, local upgrades in fighter jet pitch

In contention for the Indian Air Force (IAF)’s proposed procurement of 114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA), Saab is aiming to build around its Gripen jets a production and upgrade ecosystem in India.

The Swedish defence major is still awaiting the “next step” in the form of a request for a proposal from the Indian government that would detail the technical and industrial requirements. The company is ready to provide “a very attractive response” any time, Kent-Ake Molin, the head of Saab’s Gripen for India programme, said on Saturday.

Speaking with DH, Molin said Saab was ready to offer Gripen’s single- (Gripen E) and twin-seater (Gripen F) variants to IAF, based on what the requirement entails. “We want to establish an Indian industrial network around the Gripen for production, maintenance, upgrade and design capabilities,” he said.

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Saab is offering IAF a production infrastructure in the country that provides the client access to resources and platforms that could be adapted in line with the air force’s operational needs.

The push for indigenisation is redefining India’s defence and aerospace sectors, facilitating global partnerships built on local industrial capabilities. “If you look at our 36 (Gripen) fighters programme for Brazil, we established production, we set up a design centre and we had test flights. We shared technology, we developed together with our customers. This is part of our business DNA,” Molin said.

With other contenders including Lockheed Martin’s F-21, Dassault’s Rafale, and Boeing’s Super Hornet, eyeing the MRFA deal, Saab has been building its pitch on Gripen’s combat capabilities and its AI-powered tactical support system that it said helped pilots take “faster and smarter” decisions. A “very flexible” suite that integrates Indian weapons is a possibility as well.

“What is really disruptive with the technology is the avionics design which makes this upgradeable, easily and speedily, for the future as well,” Molin said.

Molin who is also Sales Director at Saab is in Bengaluru as part of Saab’s delegation for Aero India 2023 which opens at the IAF station in Yelahanka on February 13.