F-X deal is back on. Brazil back in action

[RobWilliams]

More info about the Gripen E has been released following the announcement that Saab have begun fuselage assembly work on the first of 3 test aircraft.

Saab reveals full Gripen E design, cost savings - 3/13/2014 - Flight Global

First flight of the lead test aircraft is scheduled for the second half of 2015, with the single-seat asset to be used primarily for airframe and flight control system testing. The next example will be flown in the first half of 2016, and will support tactical systems work. Any required adaptations will be embodied with flight test instrumentation-equipped aircraft 39-10, which will join the test campaign in early 2017 to prove the final E-model configuration.

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While externally similar, the slightly larger E will have five through-fuselage, aluminium-lithium frames at the heart of its structure, which will support its airframe through to its inner-wing weapons pylons. Its tail section has been redesigned to accommodate the General Electric F414G-39E turbofan engine, and a new intake has been added at the base of the tail for a second environmental control system, which is needed to cool its Selex ES Raven ES-05 active electronically scanned array radar and electronic warfare equipment.

The Gripen’s air intake design has also been enlarged, and new landing gear installed. The latter includes a larger, single nose wheel and main gear which retracts into the wing, freeing fuselage space and enabling a 40% increase in internal fuel capacity. Two additional weapon stations have also been introduced beneath the fuselage.

Maximum take-off weight will be 16.5t, with the type’s empty airframe weight accounting for just 20% of this, at around 3t.

Referring to the aircraft’s sensor configuration, which also includes the Selex Skyward-G infrared search and track (IRST) turret and an advanced interrogation friend-or-foe suite, Saab's Sindahl says: “It will be the best in the world when we ship the first one in 2018. We have really picked the best things.”

Seems like a pretty capable aircraft, #13.5t of weapons and fuel storage. The two seater Gripen F model is a model only currently being pursued by Brazil and thus will take the lead on development and - presumably - major production of the aircraft. Saab isn't really sure if they want a twin seater for training or operational uses so talks are ongoing.

Brazil is really working into being not just a larger military power but also being a weapons manufacturer, could be interesting to see what other South American countries do vis-a-vis cooperation in this area, after all there's a lot of complex weapon systems on their shopping list.