Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1308154
upgrade the aircraft that had been delivered before. The last jet was delivered in 2015. Currently, the Swedish Air Force operates around 100 aircraft, 60 of which are brand new, while the remaining 30 are the upgraded A and B airframes. The fighters in question belong to 3 tactical aviation wings. Despite the upgrades, the command was perfectly aware of the fact that the Gripen fleet is aging. The Air Force officials concluded that if other nations introduce fight- er aircraft with AESA radars and longer range air-to-air missiles, the Gripens may use their advantage. For that reason, an analytical effort began early last decade, aimed at the introduc- tion of a new MRCA that would be capable of taking on the new threat. Ultimately Gripen NG - a new variant of the Gripen - would replace the JAS 39C/D. In the Swedish Air Force, it is going to be designat- ed JAS 39 E/F. SAAB has been developing the new aircraft since 2007, and the order was awarded in January 2013, when a delivery agreement was signed concerning 60 fighters. Pricetag? More than 3.5 bn. euros. The initial plan was to get the new jets by upgrading the JAS 39Cs. However, ultimately it turned out that it would be far more affordable to man- ufacture entirely new jets, that would also uti- lize some elements of the legacy airframes. The fighters would be able to carry a greater payload and a more expansive inventory of weapons. They would also be fitted with a new engine, the General Electric F414-GE-39E. The engine in question was developed for the F/A- 18E/F Super Hornet and it is a derivative of the F404 engine used in the legacy Hornets and legacy variants of the Gripen. Gripen E would be thus supercruise-capable. Another import- ant feature would come in the form of the Selex ES-05 Raven AESA radar, allowing the jet to effectively detect air and surface threats at much greater ranges. The AESA technology would also make it possible for the pilot to use the radar in different modes (air-to-air and air- to-ground included) simultaneously. The original schedule assumed that the first jet would be handed off to the user in 2018. The last aircraft was expected to be delivered by 2027. The Gripen E program, unfortunately, suffered from significant delays. The first se- ries-manufactured jet made its maiden flight in December 2019. The 60 aircraft ordered would not be enough to meet all of the Swedish Air Force's require- ments. Some steps have been taken that would lead to the authorized acquisition of an- other 20 to 40 aircraft. This is to make it pos- sible to keep 100 MRCA active. According to the analytical studies available, this is the min- imum guaranteeing a sufficient mission capa- bility. At the same time, it needs to be noted that the plans made by the MoD also include further employment of some of the Gripen C/D fighters. They would be tasked with the strike role primarily. UNITED KINGDOM The RAF is the primary Eurofighter with a total of 160 jets. The delivery of those aircraft began in 2003. According to the arrangements made within the consortium, the final assembly of aircraft for each of the four partners is taking place at a domestic facility. In the case of the UK, the designated plant was the Warton fac- tory of BAE Systems. The Royal Air Force has received 53 Tranche 1, 67 Tranche 2, and just 40 Tranche 3A jets. Initially, the third lot of the aircraft was to in- clude more jets - 88 to be exact. Due to the budgetary cuts made among the program partners, a decision was made to distribute the orders across a longer timeline, and to di- vide the procurement into two lots - Tranche 3A and Tranche 3B. Ultimately, however, all of the states involved resigned from ordering the last Tranche (3B). The first Eurofighter jet was received by the RAF on June 30th, 2003. Meanwhile, the first squadron reached the initial operational read- iness in 2007. The last jet delivered so far was received on September 27th, 2019 - and AVIATION