Sweden May Cut JAS 39 Gripen Purchases

[The Watcher]

Sweden May Cut JAS 39 Gripen Purchases

STOCKHOLM - A new national defense bill slated for release at week's end will attempt to reduce Swedish defense spending by up to $400 million by the year 2007. The country's air force is already in talks with Saab concering the likely cutback in planned procurements of that manufacturer's JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft.

The current plan calls for the purchase of 204 Gripens; it is not clear how many of these would be cut under terms of the proposed new bill. The government reportedly wants to continue ordering the C/D versions to replace the earlier A/B models already in the inventory, but is also looking at scaling down the C/D buys and operating a mixed fleet. If the first option is chosen, the A/B models could be offered for re-sale on the international market.

Swedish defense minister Leni Bjorklund says that despite the spending cuts, the government wants to protect the country's defense industry. "Perhaps the most difficult part of the future bill will be how we treat industry and how we treat defense materiel. Those companies and the research that is carried out through our military demands in that sector has meant a lot to Swedish industry in general."

In a separate development, Saab and Gripen International (the Saab/BAE Systems consortium) continued discussions with Pakistan regarding a potential sale of JAS39s and Saab 2000 aircraft equipped with Ericsson's Erieye airborne early-warning radar.

Source: Flight International

 

[mysterious]

Well if the Swedes are intelligent enough and want to keep their defense industry healthily afloat, the right thing to do would be to accept Pakistan as a potential buyer in serious terms and give the green light to sell Gripens and Erieyes to PAF which has some nice hard cash on its hands just waiting to be spent!!! :smokingc:

 

[tatra]

They may as well give one Gripen and one Erieye directly to the Chinese :

 

[adsH]

They may as well give one Gripen and one Erieye directly to the Chinese :

do you have proof to back up your assertion !! what makes you so sure that pak gives everything or anything to china, Does any one have proof to backup this claim here, I don't think so!! unless you have proof of what your saying is right , then don't bother saying it!!

 

[highsea]

Does anyone have a link to this story? I searched the website and archives of Flight International, and while I found a recent article about the Swedish reduction in Defense spending, there was no mention of Pakistan and Gripens in that story.

-CM

 

[The Watcher]

http://emarketalerts.forecast1.com/mic/eabstract.cfm?recno=108780

 

[SABRE]

Hmm. Quite some time ago I posted email of JAS39 Gripen's communication director on why Pak dint get Gripens. He said Pak dint ask for them. Well alteast than he was right. Later I learned tht the negotiations n official bid went under way in mid of July this yr (after my post of Email), after Mushi had come back from Sweden. So I think this part of SAAB continuing discussions with Pakistan regarding a potential sale of JAS39s and Saab 2000 might be true.

Guess I should again email tht guy n send him this link.

tatra Pak wont make such a mistake. Roumer or True tht Pak gave F-16 to China, Pak has learned tht buy doing so it will put it self in trouble.

Anyways atleast both USA n Sweden r indicating possible sale of their F-16s n Gripens (respectively) to Pakistan. Hope it goes through.

 

[srirangan]

They may as well give one Gripen and one Erieye directly to the Chinese :

do you have proof to back up your assertion !! what makes you so sure that pak gives everything or anything to china, Does any one have proof to backup this claim here, I don't think so!! unless you have proof of what your saying is right , then don't bother saying it!!

Pakistan does have a history of sharing tech with China.

 

[mysterious]

Non-proven! Collaboration in tech with China doesnt necessarily mean giving it tech bought from other countries. The western media applies the same rule here that if you repeat something for too long, people would actually start thinking it is the truth! :smokingc:

 

[srirangan]

Cmon myst, you know that the F16 was handed over tp the Han's. Why are you just starting an argument for no reason?

 

[SABRE]

Apperently what ever is going on between Pakistan, SAAB & Swedish government Gripen International still maintain tht no such deal is on their table. If there is some thing going on we better ask Pak & Swedish Govt.

I email OweWagermark the Gripen communications director & he still maintains his last reply. Here it is the reply to part2 of my email.

Subject : RE: Gripen Sale To Pakistan (2)

Reply to my 2nd email:

Dear Gripen Fan,
I can't give you any other answer than I gave you some months ago. As nothing has changed on our (= Gripen International) side. Whatever the Swedish Government or Ericsson or Saab or Pakistan Government are discussiong or deciding - you have to ask them.

Best regards and thank you for your supportive attitude!

Owe Wagermark
Communicationjs Director
Gripen International

I emailed this one yesterday (15/09/04). I also sent the link.

Anyways I hope no one asks me to prove that the email reply is real & force Webii to post screen shots of it AGAIN !!!

 

[srirangan]

SABRE,

That is the polite way of saying "We won't disclose any information, let the govt's do it when they feel like"

 

[SABRE]

SABRE,

That is the polite way of saying "We won't disclose any information, let the govt's do it when they feel like"

It doesnt matter what it means. All m i doing is sharing it with u n others.

Well anyways I dont know about "We wont disclose any information" but "let the govt's do it when they feel like" seems to be the moral in the reply.
Even if this guy knows he wont be able to tell any thing unless some thing rock solid came out. & before I email him if some thing reliable comes out, he would be holding apress conference abt gripen sale to Pakistan. I guess if he knws some thing he doesnt want to create a roumer but wait for the whole truth to develope it self. So ur right in some way on what u say.

 

[srirangan]

Yes and ofcourse a thank you for taking the personal effort and communicating and findin gout the latest for the forum. I think web should put enthusiastic members like you on the news editors list so that not only the forums but the entire website benefits from your efforts.

 

[adsH]

if he's the PR guy he wouldn't know much about the deal him self, since PR people are told what they should know, nothing more..

 

[SABRE]

Yes and ofcourse a thank you for taking the personal effort and communicating and findin gout the latest for the forum. I think web should put enthusiastic members like you on the news editors list so that not only the forums but the entire website benefits from your efforts.

aah ! thanks for the possitive response Sri. U look good when u do that. But when u say "I think web should put enthusiastic members like you on the news editors list so that not only the forums but the entire website benefits from your efforts" r u being sarcastic or saying for real?

Anyways m not realy interested in doing the job cause it requires research not just emailing to ppl who either r unaware of whats going on or rather dont wana tell. But if webii needs any help, m always here. My PM is always open for him Any news tht comes to me will come on this forum, so dont worry abt tht.

if he's the PR guy he wouldn't know much about the deal him self, since PR people are told what they should know, nothing more..

I dont think he is just a PR guy. Being a communication director is a big job. But what ever he is atleast he is giving some response from the other side.

 

[srirangan]

I wasn't sarcastic. The news section of the website should have more frequent and wide ranged updates and you do appear motivated enough to be a news editor. If I owned the site, I'ld promote anyone who shows promise and makes an innitiative.