Raghvendra Rao
Inclement weather conditions are set to jeopardise the flight display of a Gripen C fighter aircraft at the Skaraborg Air Force Wing, located near Lidkoping in south central Sweden. Till, the enthusiasm of a rookie pilot of the Swedish Air Force carries the day.
He steps forward, and takes the single-seater machine into the clouds, performs a series of fascinating manoeuvres within a very limited airspace pocket (so that the plane is visible), makes a perfect landing and brings the plane to a halt within 500 metres after touching down, all in a matter of minutes.
The pilot's eagerness to perform is somewhat mirrored in the way the Swedish company SAAB, the manufacturer of the Gripen aircraft, is going about competing for IAF's $10.2 billion (around Rs 48,000 crore) worth tender for 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft.
In race with the US's Boeing and Lockheed Martin, the French d'Assault, European consortium EADS and the Russian MiG for what is touted as India's single-largest defence deal ever, SAAB is positioning its Gripen NG (Next Generation) aircraft as an "independent choice" that will offer the IAF a product suited for its needs with enough room for customisation.
"Swedish support provides an 'independent image' given our non-aligned past," SAAB's Deputy Director Jonas Harma says. "What we bring to the table is the freedom of choice. We believe that we have the product. We are not telling the customers what weapons they need to take with the aircraft," says Eddy de la Motte, SAAB's Director India.
The Gripen NG, which will be ready by the end of 2010, is billed as a multi-role combat aircraft that can perform an array of air-to-air and air-to-surface operations, ensuring flight safety and low operating costs at the same time. It is currently under a variety of evaluations and trials at Malmen Air Base in Linkoping.
The Phase I and Phase III trials for the Gripen IN have already been conducted in Sweden with two IAF pilots having flown the Gripen planes in Sweden. The critical Phase II Flight Evaluation Tests, that will involve flying in extreme weather conditions in India, will begin sometime mid-March and continue for a fortnight.
The Machine
With a length of 14.1 metres and a wingspan of 8.6 metres, the Gripen IN, the customised Indian version of the Gripen NG, will boast of a thrust of 10 tonnes and a carrying capacity of 6.5 tonnes of payload and 7 tonnes of fuel. With a super-cruise capability (the ability to fly supersonic without using the afterburner, thus enabling fuel savings and range enhancement) of more than 1.2 Mach, the Gripen IN will also offer manoeuvrability up to 9 G.
Having a maximum flying range of more than 4,000 km, the Gripen IN is being billed as a fighter plane that will require less than 500 metres of landing space, less than an hour for its engine replacement and less than 10 minutes of turnaround time. Most importantly, its cost per flight hour has been estimated to be less than $3,000, thus making it a very cost-effective proposition.
Adding to the plane's capabilities will be second-generation Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, the Integrated Electronic Warfare System, the Missile Approach Warner, data links and latest generation weapons from all over the world.
(The writer visited Sweden as part of a media group hosted by SAAB)
source:Indian Express
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