BlackArcherFrom AW&ST
LONDON—The chief of the Swedish Air Force is urging the government to consider doubling the size of the future Gripen NG fleet to bolster the country’s air defenses.
In an interview with Sweden’s Dagbladet newspaper, air force commander Maj. Gen. Mats Helgesson said the air force required as many as 120 Gripen Es, twice the number the Swedish Air Force is currently programmed to receive.
“If we cannot increase to 120 aircraft, we get into operational imbalances,” he told the newspaper, suggesting it would be up to politicians to choose which parts of the country’s airspace would not be defended if the fighters were not purchased.
His request emerges as Sweden gears up for a general election on Sept. 9.
Sweden is in the midst of boosting its defense spending due to concerns about a more aggressive Russia, just across the Baltic.
Stockholm currently has a fleet of 90 Gripen C/Ds and current plans would see these replaced with 60 Gripen Es, although the government has been studying options to purchase 10 more aircraft to bring that fleet to 70.
“More aircraft would greatly increase our ability on how much of Sweden’s surface we can cover,” Helgesson said. He also acknowledged that this would come with a significant infrastructure, manpower and funding challenge, with the purchase of an extra 60 aircraft having a multibillion Krona price tag.
Saab said in a statement that it was following public discussion on Swedish defense levels. It also said the “assessment and subsequent decisions as to the appropriate levels of equipment, including Gripen E, are a decision for the defense authorities and politicians, not ourselves.”
“Our focus is on the delivery of the Gripen E program, with its vital contribution to both Swedish and Brazilian defense capabilities and wider economic benefits,” the statement added.
Saab is getting ready to fly the second and third prototypes of the Gripen E in the coming weeks, while flight trials with the first aircraft, 39-8, which flew for the first time last June, are continuing with the aircraft supporting flight envelope expansion tests and the carriage of pylons and weapons, the company said at the Farnborough Airshow.
BlackArcherWell on paper the Mig-23 has better performance over most of the flight envelope and a medium range missile but that being said one shouldn’t count out the professionalism or skill of the PAF, they know how to get the best out of the Mirage III and fly it to its advantage.
So did the IAF. With the more capable weapon system that was equipped with a BVRAAM, they held a big advantage.
BlackArcherIAF MiG-27
BlackArcherFrom AW&ST
TEL AVIV—A campaign is said to be underway to get the F-35’s European engine maintenance center moved from Turkey to Israel.
Turkey, a partner in the stealthy fighter program, has been in line to maintain the Pratt and Whitney F135 engines used by European F-35 operators. But now Israeli defense sources say the recent deterioration of ties between Washington and Ankara creates “a completely new reality.”
Some Israeli companies have started unofficial talks with U.S. companies and “key figures” in the Trump administration in an attempt to change the original plan and to move the European engine maintenance center to Israel. Israel Aerospace Industries makes F-35 wings and has its own engine maintenance facility.
The Israeli Air Force has made it clear that it will not send its F-35 engines for overhaul in Turkey.
None of the related organizations in Israel were prepared to comment.
BlackArcherBlackArcherNot directly related to Russia, but posting this in full so that we know why Malaysian Su-30MKMs are mostly grounded. Nothing to do with what some idiot poster claimed was likely “low quality HAL spare parts” rubbish. In fact, those Su-30MKMs could probably be overhauled at HAL facilities for a lower cost than what Russia offered to do it for. But they’re going ahead and trying to do it themselves but budget issues are causing delays.
from AW&ST
KUALA LUMPUR—Inadequate funding is exacerbating the low serviceability of the Sukhoi Su-30MKM of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), the head of the service said, calling for a bigger budget.
Only four of 18 Su-30MKMs are operational, Defense Minister Mohamad Sabu told parliament.
RMAF chief Gen. Affendi Buang counts six aircraft as operational; the other 12 are awaiting overhauls. The difference between his figures and Mohamad’s suggests two fighters are out of service for lesser problems than the need for overhaul.Each Su-30MKM needs an overhaul as it enters its 10th year of service, Affendi told the New Straits Times newspaper after the minister’s statement to parliament.
The service has prepared for the work, arranging for its engineering department and the Su-30MKM’s usual local maintainer, Aerospace Technology System Corp. (ATSC), to take on the program. Other local companies are involved.
“We are fine-tuning our requirements for the program, but I have to say that we are severely constrained by our very tight annual operational budget,” he said.
The time needed to establish the Malaysian overhaul setup has also been a factor. Overhauling locally was needed because the aircraft’s original equipment manufacturer (OEM) proposed an unaffordable scheme that would have required sending the fighters back to Russia, the general said.One Su-30MKM was used as a testbed to validate the local program. “We found that we could do it at a fraction of the original cost,” Affendi said. “It also reduced our dependence on the Russian OEM.”
But performing the overhauls still requires more funding. “We badly need a bigger budget to carry out this program and to ensure that the Su-30MKMs are at optimal readiness,” he said.
Affendi identified the OEM as Sukhoi. But another part of United Aircraft Corp., Irkut, made the Su-30MKM, a sub-variant special to Malaysia.
ATSC is a joint Malaysian-Russian company operating at the Gong Kedak airbase, 310 km northeast of Kuala Lumpur. The Su-30MKM squadron is based there.
The RMAF also has eight BoeingF/A-18D Hornets. Its 16 MiG-29s were retired in late 2016.
BlackArcherIt is internal Malysian problem with contractors. I wonder if former contractor supply original russian spare parts or lower quality Indian spare parts from HAL considering, that Malaysia and India well cooperate in training and maintenance since Su-30MKI and Su-30MKM are very similar.
Lower quality ?! Wow..talk about prejudices!
BlackArcherCapability aside,
why do both the British and the French/German designs look so awful.
Exactly what I was wondering..they produced the Rafale, which has to be one of the most beautiful designs of all time..and then the next gen fighter turns out to be so disappointing..Typhoon was quite a looker as well, but this Tempest looks downright ugly. The front fuselage seems similar to that of the J-20, another fugly fighter.
BlackArcher@SpudmanWP – The Gripen E and the F-35 cater to completely different markets. Gripen E is a pure budget fighter.
Budget fighter? Really? Whose budget are you referring to, since most countries that may look for a budget fighter will find the Gripen E to be a damn expensive jet.
Answer this question- will it be a sub $80 million fighter, flyaway price?
BlackArcherBlackArcherNew Delhi: Confronted by the unprecedented growth of the Chinese Navy which has just completed a round of sea trials of its first home-grown aircraft carrier, India has stepped up the pace of completing construction of its first made-in-India carrier being built in Kochi.
Senior sources in the Indian Navy have said the Vikrant (named after India’s first aircraft carrier) will enter sea trials by May or June 2020, and be commissioned in October that year. Integrated trials of the warship within the confines of the harbour will be completed prior to the sea trials. Senior Navy officers, however, point out that it could take up to four years after the Vikrant is commissioned for the aircraft carrier to be battle-ready and fully operational in all respects.For the moment, the Navy is relieved that delivery of key systems of the warship whose delivery had been delayed have now started coming in and are being fitted onto the warship. This includes the primary sensor of the aircraft carrier, the Israeli EL/M-228 MF-STAR active electronically scanned array naval radar.
The MF-STAR is designed to track multiple targets in the air and on the surface of the sea at long ranges. Similarly, components of the Russian-designed aviation complex meant to provide air traffic guidance, in addition to landing aids for the Vikrant’s MiG-29K fighter jets, will begin arriving within months.
The project to build the Vikrant has seen an astronomical jump in project estimates.
According to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), the government’s financial watchdog, the Defence Ministry had first planned the construction of an indigenous aircraft carrier in 1999 at a cost of Rs. 1,725.24 crore with delivery of the ship in eight to 10 years.
By 2002, the Navy defined its requirements which were for a larger aircraft carrier displacing more than 37,000 tonnes. This raised the project costs to Rs. 3,261 crore with delivery of the ship expected in December 2010.
But by March 2014, the cost estimates of the project were again revised. This time, they went up to a whopping Rs. 19,341 crore, or more than $3 billion. Delivery of the ship was meant to happen in December this year. This deadline will clearly be missed.
By contrast, China began sea trials of its first home-made aircraft carrier, a 70,000-tonne warship, earlier this month. Construction of the ship began in November 2013. By contrast, the keel of India’s Vikrant was laid in February 2009, and though she was sailed out for the first time in in 2011, completion of the project is still years away.
BlackArcherSo there is an initiative in Indonesia to attempt to acquire Typhoon. Thing is i wonder whether it’s availability or due to budget constraints, we are only able to acquire Tranche-1.
and from what i heard these aircraft have rather limited capability (no full A2G modes) and such, but does support meteor. I’m curious if it would be expensive to upgrade or at least bring these aircraft into a good shape, with ability to support standoff missile or guided bombs.
Really?? Indonesia wants to explore buying used T1 Typhoons with their limited capabilities? Why not just buy more Su-35S? Totally puzzling procurement policies.
Sign In
