SAAB Rolls-out the First Gripen E
The defense and security company, SAAB, will take the next step in the evolution of the Gripen fighter system in mid-May 2016, with the unveiling of the first test aircraft of the next generation, Gripen E.
The unveiling of the first Gripen E test aircraft will take place at Saab’s facilities in Linköping. On stage, Major General Mats Helgesson - Swedish Air Force Chief of Staff; Tenente Brigadeiro-do-Ar, Nivaldo Luiz Rossato - Chief of Brazilian Air Force, Ulf Nilsson - head of Saab Aeronautics; Daniela Ivanic - systems engineer Saab Aeronautics and Matti Olsson - head of production strategy Saab Aeronautics and others will share their views on Gripen E.
The event will be live streamed on their website making it possible for people around the world to take part “There is huge global interest in the Gripen fighter system and we are now ready to present the first Gripen E. We look forward to sharing this important event with both guests and viewers,” says Ulf Nilsson, head of Saab business area Aeronautics.
“This key milestone is proof of our ability to build world-class fighters on time and on budget and it brings us one step closer to first flight and delivery to our customer”, says Ulf Nilsson.
Bigger and Stronger an Impressive Aircraft
The New Generation Gripen-E is slightly bigger than previous versions. Gripen E has an overall length of 15.2m, wingspan of 8.6m, and maximum takeoff weight of 16,500kg. It can reach Mach 2 (1,522 mph, 2,450 km/h) at high altitude.
The aircraft features a stronger engine and updated radar systems as well as more weapons capability. Gripen E is equipped with a highly integrated and sophisticated sensor suite including an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, Infra Red Search and Track (IRST), Electronic Warfare (EW) suite, and data link technology.
The Gripen E prototype will conduct its maiden flight by the end of 2016. The Swedish Air Force expects to receive its first batch of Gripen NGs by 2023.
