Gripen International, Using a French AF Boeing KC135 tanker FMV, the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, has successfully completed air-to-air refuelling trials with the Gripen fighter, further extending Gripen’s capability to participate in international operations.
Starting from the Istres air base, 50 kilometres north-west of Marseille in France, a series of in-flight re-fuelling tests with Swedish Air Force Gripen fighter aircraft was successfully carried out, with both the C (single seat) and D (two seat) versions of the Gripen being connected in-flight and re-fuelled by the French Air Force tankers. Both ground and flight tests were carried out over a period of a week and a half.
“This has been a very successful test campaign and we have been able to complete the tests that we planned. The campaign is an important milestone in the work to certify the Swedish Gripen system for air-to-air refuelling”, says Tommy Emanuelsson, Test Manager at the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV).
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Saab has supported FMV in the extensive documentation work related to a testing campaign of this type. FMV will evaluate the test results as part of the ongoing work with the certification and Saab will continue to benefit from the experiences gained from the continued development of the system.
The NATO interoperable Gripen aircraft now delivered and in-service with the Hungarian and Czech Republic Air Forces have air-to-air refuelling capability, and the Gripens for the South African Air Force, deliveries of which commence this year, also have the same capability.
