19 September 2006
South Africa’s first Gripen new generation fighter aircraft made its public debut today, on the eve of the African Aerospace & Defence (AAD) 2006 exhibition being held at Air Force Base Ysterplaat in Cape Town this week.
This two-seat version of the Gripen fighter aircraft (SA01), wearing South African Air Force (SAAF) livery and bearing the South African flag, arrived in South Africa in July 2006, and has been based at the Test Flight Development Centre (TFDC) near Bredasdorp in the Southern Cape, where it has been prepared for a thorough and intensive South African flight test programme.
A team of technical experts from Gripen’s manufacturer, Saab, has been seconded from Sweden to TFDC for two years, to work alongside their South African counterparts from the SAAF, Armscor and Denel on the flight test programme. When completed, this programme will lead directly to the delivery of the first Gripen to South Africa in early 2008.
“We are delighted to celebrate AAD 2006 in Cape Town this year. Saab, in agreement with South Africa’s Department of Defence, agreed to temporarily release this aircraft from its intensive TFDC flight test programme, so that it can appear at the show. We appreciate the keen interest that South Africans continue to express in the Gripen programme and we are responding to this by enabling South Africans to see the country’s future fighter close up for the very first time,” explained Gripen International Managing Director, Johan Lehander.
In 1999, South Africa signed a US$2,2-billion contract with Saab-BAE Systems to supply a fleet of Gripen new generation fighters and Hawk lead-in fighter trainers, as part of the Strategic Defence Procurement programme. This will result in the modernisation of the SAAF’s fighter fleet, while ensuring the SAAF is able to fulfill all of its national, regional defence and peace-support duties.
Arising from this procurement contract, Saab-BAE Systems are also delivering new economic benefits to South Africa, through reciprocal Industrial Participation offset ventures in a wide array of industrial sectors. This includes the production of major Gripen aircraft components and sub-assemblies by various South African companies, including Denel, Avitronics and Comau-AIMS.
To date, Saab-BAE Systems have implemented more than 70 offset projects in more than 40 sectors such as gold and platinum beneficiation, automotive component manufacturing, timber product exports, tourism development, bio-technology, medical research, commercial marine engineering and ship repair, power-generation components, mining equipment manufacture and wine exports. These account for over US$600 million of new investments in local businesses and are on track to yield over US$3billion of new revenues by 2011.
Gripen test pilot Magnus Olsson, from the South African Gripen Flight Test Team, based at Bredasdorp, will take to the skies over Cape Town in Gripen SA01 on the Press Day, the opening day and the public days of the AAD show.
Although it will be flying at AAD, this particular Gripen will not be performing any aerobatic manoeuvres as it has been equipped with special flight test instrumentation, which is being used to validate equipment and systems specific to South Africa’s customised version of the aircraft. AAD visitors will also be able to enjoy a close-up inspection of the aircraft, as it will be featured in the AAD static display on each day of the show.
In addition to this, and for the first time at AAD, the Gripen team will be demonstrating its Full-Scale Replica (FSR) of the Gripen fighter. This FSR, which is always a major attraction at the world’s largest air shows, enables VIP’s, pilots, ground crew, the media and the general public to get a first-hand feel of what South Africa’s future fighter pilots will experience when they get up close and personal with the Gripen fighter….something not to miss!
Visitors to the Gripen exhibition will also be able to talk to the pilots and other members of the Gripen team, to find out more about what it takes to design, build and fly the world’s first new generation aircraft in operational service.
Stephen Laufer
Public Affairs and Communications for
Saab South Africa
+ 27 83 444 2739
slaufer@laufer-tsi.co.za
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