You have highlighted it:

a lot of the additional capabilities being added to the E are going to make it mostly unaffordable for the bulk of the operators that they were targeting as possible Gripen operators

They split their customer base for a niche where mostly the competition stands around the M2K, the last remaining F5, the FC-1 (JF17) or the Teja. There was no need for some cavernous fuel cells. Those were needed when they went frontal with bigger design such has the Typhoon and the Rafale. Did they won anything aside of Brasil that way? No. Is there a cheaper alternative to the E in that class? Yes (the 16).

Reworking the C would have made more senses. All the improvement regarding the radar and ECM suites are relatively increasingly wasted with the need for more power (more wet surface, more weight, more drag, more power at cruise, less Watt for the embedded systems)*.

The front aspect redesign (more stealthy), would have been great also on the nimbler C. Let’s hope that some “CFRP” tuning kits would see the light of the day now that all the sciences has been paid in that exercice.

I know that we have the great example of Northrop with the switch in production from the A/B to the E/F. But the context was different. The increase in size was to better the efficiency (aero, maneuvrability and of course fuel etc…). Today, the increase in this domain in perf could have been reached with a serious work on material and aerodynamics (hence my plea for a bigger design bureau). By recurring to 1980’ish design methodology (see my critics on the exposed structure as shown in the (ill-chosen) PR material), they have encaged themselves in that final result: to much** for too few.

Again, I am confident that this will only stand as a minor event in the path forward for Saab as looked back in the next decade, but as you can see, there is plenty of space to be disappointed…

*the big engine/small airframe design philosophy as in the 35 – I am envisioning a 414 for the earlier gen
**Time & Money

Another set of great observations by TomcatVip & Hopsalot, thanx, my votes are fun 4/5, content 0/5.

My dear Halo, you’ll have to live with critics and opinions differing from yours, you know?
But let me go straight with it: Saab has certainly some great PR and marketing ressources, but what about increasing the size of their engineer department? With nearly a decade devoted for this, by the look at it, any shareholder would frankly look aside when it comes to put money on their next project. But I am sure, the E is a constricted exception

And by the way the C/D is a great airplane IMOHO. It’s not because you put everything on B&W board that this how others think.

UAE Military Aircraft Crash Raises Safety Concerns

Since 2010, 12 military and Air Force pilots and crew have been killed in either training missions or accidents, according to public statements released by GHQ.

Another two were killed during combat operations in Yemen in March this year.[…]

Public records show that since 2011, three Dassault Mirage 2000-9s have been lost. One in combat in March, one during a training mission in 2011 and the third in 2012 due to a crew member accident.

Another fighter jet was lost in April 2011 in Italy during a base transfer operation. An Air Force F-16 Block 60 crash-landed and was destroyed. However the pilot saved himself when he ejected.

Source:
DefenseNews.com

Germany Presses Airbus to Resolve A400M Problems

“We urge the manufacturer to come up with a feasible and workable plan,” a spokesman for the [German] defense ministry, Jens Flosdorff, told a news briefing.

After new faults were discovered in the aircraft’s engines and cracks in its fuselage, “what is important [for the German government] is that the manufacturer present a plan with which it will be able to resolve these issues in the coming months,”

Source:
DefenseNews.com

It doesn’t look flimsy at all to me, more like very solid, compared to western fighters at least.
They changed it from twin wheels with brakes to a single wheel for compability with runway arresting wires. One if not the only thing that looks better now, reminds me of the Mirage series.

Yes it looks like very 1980’ish. I understand the circumstances, but what will Saab roll out next year… A revamped Tunnan?

But Fuel costs are all over the place ATM.
I remember 10 years ago how we would be at peak oil by now with oil going hundreds of dollars per barrel. Now we have a glut of oil. This is the problem with guessing sustainment prices 50 years ahead.

Without forward planing and technologies, we won’t be there today. Never forget 😉

I do agree. Better sensors favor the SEAD objectives (detect and engage at range). The SH as proposed is not fitted with the Growler defensive suite (proposed by Boeing elsewhere).

For CAS, I do understand that the LO characteristics of the SH (weapons pod) and extended loiter time with CFT might play a role.

Anyhow, the superior ratings on the Military fold of the competition should be a great intensive for any future Boeing’s customer

How is this for an answer? Our armed forces can not stop the 35 Bravos. They are a disruptive technology and can dominate unopposed in southamerica.

Iran is an enemy country of Argentina. Makes utter nonse to bring it up as a potential ally. We have no diplomatic relations with Iran since the 4 terrorist attacks of the 90’s.

North Korea is a joke country, that concerns us close to zero.

China (and to a lesser state the soviets too) is completely resented and rejected by our military, and now by the current political administration. Frontline weapons systems are a non starter. The armed forces even rejected backpacks and uniforms, so you can imagine.

In regards to tne balistic missiles, we have that technology, there’s no need to go around shopping.

Falklands-Malvinas will be resolved in the diplomatic field, if ever.

This thread could have made some senses 2 or 3 years ago. Now Argentina is back in the field and ready to play its role in the commune interest of the continent. I won’t be surprised to see them fielding 2nd hands 35s one day. It’s all about their economy.