yes congrats to SAAB !:)

At least an end for those “competitions”….Soon India will be over and we will all be bored !:D

the Helvetic Confederation prefer the Gripen for reasons of price … against the advice of military

Decidedly, the Rafale has no chance. Switzerland has announced it would buy 22 Swedish Gripen fighter aircraft to replace its old F-5. The Gripen was in competition with the Rafale and the Eurofighter.

With France, the negotiations seemed well under way, however, to the point that it was envisaged that not only the Swiss pilot form in France but they can use our airspace, from the base of Luxeuil. They would have used the same aircraft as the Air Force (standard F3), without requiring new developments.

Fernand Carrel, the commander of the Swiss Air Force, regretted the choice of the Federal Council. “All experts know that the Rafale is the best,” he said on Radio Suisse Romande.

The Swiss authorities have explained that “financial arguments have played a decisive role in choosing the type of aircraft.” Clearly, the Gripen is much cheaper than its competitors from the euro area. The contract is worth 2.58 billion euros (3.1 billion Swiss francs), or 117 million per plane. Rafale and Eurofighter were therefore more expensive.
Dassault Rafale and the team has “regretted that the Swiss Federal Council has” deliberately decided not to position Switzerland at the highest European level as regards the performance of new combat aircraft. “The capabilities of the Rafale would allow the Helvetic Confederation to acquire a smaller number of aircraft to meet operational requirements, at a cost equivalent to or less as shown by assessments of Swiss Air Force. “

This announcement is not expected to help relax the negotiations with the UAE – who want to acquire 60 combat aircraft. As they have informed the French authorities, they find the price too high, around 20%. A “non-competitive offers,” according to the Emirati authorities. The CEO of Dassault-Aviation was recently recognized at a conference organized by the Ministry of Defence: “If instead of the euro symbol, there was strong dollar, we would be competitive in price.” The contract with the UAE is estimated at around 9 billion euros.
After the mishaps in Brazil, the French aircraft industry was counting on this contract the first Swiss to score a point for export. Remains in contention in the Indian market, and of course

http://www.marianne2.fr/blogsecretdefense/Sale-coup-pour-le-Rafale-en-Suisse_a440.html

The Helvetic Confederation prefer the Gripen for reasons of price … against the advice of military

Decidedly, the Rafale has no chance. Switzerland has announced it would buy 22 Swedish Gripen fighter aircraft to replace its old F-5. The Gripen was in competition with the Rafale and the Eurofighter.

With France, the negotiations seemed well under way, however, to the point that it was envisaged that not only the Swiss pilot form in France but they can use our airspace, from the base of Luxeuil. They would have used the same aircraft as the Air Force (standard F3), without requiring new developments.

Fernand Carrel, the commander of the Swiss Air Force, regretted the choice of the Federal Council. “All experts know that the Rafale is the best,” he said on Radio Suisse Romande.

The Swiss authorities have explained that “financial arguments have played a decisive role in choosing the type of aircraft.” Clearly, the Gripen is much cheaper than its competitors from the euro area. The contract is worth 2.58 billion euros (3.1 billion Swiss francs), or 117 million per plane. Rafale and Eurofighter were therefore more expensive.
Dassault Rafale and the team has “regretted that the Swiss Federal Council has” deliberately decided not to position Switzerland at the highest European level as regards the performance of new combat aircraft. “The capabilities of the Rafale would allow the Helvetic Confederation to acquire a smaller number of aircraft to meet operational requirements, at a cost equivalent to or less as shown by assessments of Swiss Air Force. “

This announcement is not expected to help relax the negotiations with the UAE – who want to acquire 60 combat aircraft. As they have informed the French authorities, they find the price too high, around 20%. A “non-competitive offers,” according to the Emirati authorities. The CEO of Dassault-Aviation was recently recognized at a conference organized by the Ministry of Defence: “If instead of the euro symbol, there was strong dollar, we would be competitive in price.” The contract with the UAE is estimated at around 9 billion euros.
After the mishaps in Brazil, the French aircraft industry was counting on this contract the first Swiss to score a point for export. Remains in contention in the Indian market, and of course

http://www.marianne2.fr/blogsecretdefense/Sale-coup-pour-le-Rafale-en-Suisse_a440.html

http://www.air-cosmos.com/a-la-une/201111300177462/le-gripen-low-cost-retenu-en-suisse.html

according to Air et cosmos it should well be the gripen NG but it was still deemed less capable than rafale and typhoon.

PS : for india you can find many sources stating that the rafale scored higher so wait and see.

Indeed : The question is why are people are talking about their favorite aircraft ? For the number of exports ? Or for arguing it is the best ? If you don’t have both you cannot be a true winner. Just my opinion.;)

http://www.blick.ch/news/politik/bundesrat-will-offenbar-den-billig-jet-kaufen-188443

Blick.ch as was told by insiders, that the Federal council wants to buy the Swedish Gripen fighter. The government is following the application of VBS chief Ueli Maurer . The Gripen is the cheapest of the three jets available for selection.
[…]
The selection of Gripen provides already critics from the “military/politicians” . “The Air Force needs the best fighter”, says SVP-man Roland Borer – this is not for him the cheap Gripen. “It did not succeed technically “reffering to confidential evaluation reports that were leaked to the media in recent days.

Borer attacks even his fellow party Maurer directly: “If the responsible boss decides to buy a product that did not succeed, it is not responsible!”.Borer wants to draw “the conclusions” at the elections of the new Federal council from 14 December and lets see through that he will refuse his voice to Maurer. “And I am not the only one who think in such a way. “

the decision is already creating waves among swiss politicians …

The Federal Council has decided at today’s meeting for the cheapest plane – the Swedish Gripen. This is to say pro-government circles over Tagesanzeiger.ch / Newsnet. The procurement of 22 aircraft of this type cost cost about three billion francs, a billion less than the same number or € Rafale fighter would.

Defence Minister Ueli Maurer himself is said to have made the request to purchase this machine. He is said for quite some time, he prefer the Swedish fighter aircraft. The decision, however, could still be talking in Parliament. The “Basler Zeitung” had relied in the past two days written evaluation reports, the Swedish Gripen had flunked tests.

The operational area performed worse

According to the spokesman of the Air Force, Jürg Nussbaum, the Gripen in the evaluation of the operational area performed worse than Rafale and Euro Fighter. But this was only one aspect. In other areas – maintenance, logistics, cooperation – see the “ranking”, however, different. Moreover, it was important to assess the overall picture.

Pilot and SVP National Council Thomas Hurter asked this in a letter to Ueli Maurer clarify the situation. In an interview with Daily News / Newsnet the Schaffhauser said yesterday that he was üerzeugt that the Parliament would not speak for the aircraft purchase loans, the government should choose a type that is worse than the F/A-18.

Cost savings in other stores necessary

The cost issue is likely to have played a significant role in the decision. For the fiscal room for maneuver of the Covenant is small. Therefore, the Federal Council wanted to postpone the procurement of new combat aircraft to 2015. The Parliament urged the government but in the fall session at a rapid decision. Switzerland buys the Jets are now the new battle, spending cuts and austerity measures in other areas such as education and research, agriculture and infrastructure is likely.

http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/schweiz/standard/KampfjetEntscheid-offenbar-gefallen/story/28653803

The Federal Council will soon decide which fighter will replace the obsolete Tiger F-5. Behind the scenes one fights hard until the very end. It is rumored the Swedish Gripen is failing.
[…]

“The quality of the generated data was scarce enough. The simultaneous control of multiple ground targets was not possible. The Gripen was assessed for the areas of air-air and air-ground as unsatisfactory. “The second report produced in November 2009 based on simulated tests with Saab, earned a total of 98 changes, while it was 18 for the French provider Dassault (Rafale) and 25 for the European Consortium EADS. Once again, the Gripen landed to third place.

The two above-mentioned reports were signed by Lieutenant General Markus Gygax. Ten days ago, the air force chief said ” i said to the Federal Council that the 3 aircrafts fulfill our requirements”. Now Gygax sees itself confronted with the reproach that he did not represent correctly the circumstances concerning efficiency of the tested types of aircraft.

According to the Air Force spokesman Jürg Nussbaum , the mentioned statements of commander Gygax were not related to the mentioned reports. “The air force commander does not correct itself” It was true that the Gripen did not reach the operational level benchmarked by the F/A-18 fighter; Rafale and Eurofighter fighter would have done better here. In other areas – maintenance, logistics, cooperation – see a “ranking”, however, different. Moreover, it was important to assess the overall picture. He still maintain the minimum requirements were met by all three fighter jets, says Nussbaum. He also points out that it is classified confidential documents which are circulating.
[…]
Alarmed, however, was the SVP National Schaffhauser Thomas Hurter. He chaired the parliamentary subcommittee that oversees the project about Fighter Aircraft. The Panel had previously no access to the confidential reports, which evaluated the operational capabilities of the three fighter jets. The subcommittee had all three aircraft have been described as fit.
“If the Federal council select a new fighter plane, which is performance-related even behind the F/A-18, the parliament would hardly appreciate it” points Hurter.[…]

The controversial arms deal is for the first time Wednesday on the agenda of the Federal Council. the selection of the aircraft will be made not only because of technological performance. The overall package with aspects such as offsets, training co-operation, and maintenance costs, development opportunities are taken into account. Not insignificant is also the question of cost: The Gripen is the “cheapest” plane.

http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/schweiz/standard/Rafale-Gripen-oder-Eurofighter-Faellt-heute-der-Entscheid/story/29112047

It seems that the gripen indeed failed at the operational testing but gained some other points in other area thus meeting the minimum requirement when the global package is assessed.

But some other politics find it hard to accept to opt for an aircraft that was assessed below the F18 performance.

So it seems that it is still quite open and the decision will depend on where the priority is (costs or operational performance).