Gripen Beats Rafale, Typhoon for Swiss

[Gerald]

Switzerland has opted to buy 22 Saab Gripen JAS-39E/Fs in its long-running F-5 Tiger replacement program, says Defense Minister Ueli Maurer.Gripen beat out the Dassault Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon—Boeing withdrew the F/A-18E/F early from the program.The arrangement marks a big setback for Dassault, which was hoping to finally secure its first export deal for Rafale. Eurofighter also was eager to convince Switzerland to join the family; Italy, Austria and Germany already fly the aircraft. Switzerland also considered an F-5 extension, but that was deemed too expensive.All three main contenders met the requirements put forward by the services. But the Gripen had several advantages, Maurer says, including price, which leaves money left over for other military needs.The Gripen had both the lowest acquisition costs and lower 30-year life-cycle costs by far, says Maurer. The procurement program is likely to cost less than 3 billion Swiss francs ($3.3 billion). Moreover, Switzerland liked the potential for industrial cooperation on offer from Saab.

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/gener...%20for%20Swiss


Note: Dec 1, 2011

[joegrundman]

that logo on the side of the gripen there. when i was a kid, it was just a logo, but now in the world of the intertubes...it's an emoticon

[Gerald]

Accounts for three crowns, a weapon tag in Swedish flight ... which was before the internet and emoticon,

[joegrundman]

that was then, this is now

[Herr-Berbunch]

No trollface then?

All three contenders are a vast step up from the F5 , must be nice to finally (eventually) carry more than a few sidewinders or a couple of mavericks.

But why do the Swiss need these a/c? To give the pope a flypast?

[Schroeder]

Originally Posted by Herr-Berbunch

No trollface then?

All three contenders are a vast step up from the F5 , must be nice to finally (eventually) carry more than a few sidewinders or a couple of mavericks.

But why do the Swiss need these a/c? To give the pope a flypast?

They probably fear that their neighbours might try to knock on their door when the Euro goes belly up. There are still rumours that they are storing tons of gold that we have rightfully stol... er... I mean acquired during WWII.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Herr-Berbunch

No trollface then?

All three contenders are a vast step up from the F5 , must be nice to finally (eventually) carry more than a few sidewinders or a couple of mavericks.

But why do the Swiss need these a/c? To give the pope a flypast?

There's one thing you can be sure of then....in Swedish or Swiss hands they'll probably never be tested in battle