Posted on 11/30/2011 7:07:36 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
RPT-Swiss opt for Saab's Gripen fighter jets - paper
(Repeats to additional subscribers)
ZURICH Nov 30 (Reuters) - Switzerland has chosen to replace its fighter jet fleet with Swedish defence and aerospace group Saab's JAS-39 Gripen, Swiss newspaper Tagesanzeiger reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources close to the government.
Neutral Switzerland has wrangled for the past three years over whether to replace its ageing Northrop F-5E/F Tiger fighters, purchased in 1976 and 1981, with up to 33 new aircraft.
Saab shares were up 8.5 percent to 117.10 Swedish crowns by 1345 GMT after the newspaper report.
The newspaper said the cost of purchasing 22 jets would be about 3 billion Swiss francs ($3.3 billion), 1 billion less than the same number of rival models would cost.
In September, the Swiss lower house of parliament approved a 5 billion francs defence budget for 2013 to finance a 100,000 strong army and the purchase of new fighter jets.
Other bidders included the Rafale built by french company Dassault Aviation and EADS's Anglo-German-Italian Eurofighter
(Excerpt) Read more at in.reuters.com ...
But don`t the Swiss live in Sweden?
I hope their Saab fighters are more reliable than their cars.
By no means an afficionado here, but she shure is purty.
Wing span
8,0 m
Length overall
12,0 m
Weight
Approx. 6.500 kg
Max take off weight
Approx. 12500 kg
Armament
Gun, Missiles, Bombs, Rockets and Stand off dispenser •internally-mounted 27mm gun
•Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM)
•Sidewinder or new generation Short Range Air-to-Air Missiles (SRAAM).
•Sea-Skimming anti-ship missiles.
•Advanced dispenser weapon systems (DWS).
•Air-to-Ground weapons (Maverick, Rocket pods).
•Active/passive Electronic Warfare (EW) systems.
•Internal and external reconnaissance systems.
•Three external fuel tanks.
Powerplant
Volvo Aero RM 12 (General Electric F404J)
Thrust
80,0 kN (18.000 lbs)
Max Speed
Supersonic at all altitude
Maximum Speed
Mach 1 15 at low altitude, Mach 1.9 at high altitude.
Climb
Less than 2 minutes from brake release to 10 km (33,000 ft), approx. 3 minutes to 14 km (46,000 ft),
Level Acceleration
Approx. 30 seconds from Mach 0.5 to Mach 1.1 at low altitude.
Turn Performance
Sustained - approx. 20 deg/sec. Instantaneous - approx. 30 deg/sec.
Max. Load Factor
9g maximum sustained Nz
Only the ones who speak Austrian...
A SAAB airframe with a Volvo Power plant. too funny.
Good choice for a warplane that’s probably never going to fire a shot in anger.
Isn’t it just an “improved” GE engine?
Those specs are for the vanilla Gripen variant; the Swiss are getting the heavier, more advanced NG/ Gripen E/F version.
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