The Mercury, Linkoping – Saab, the Swedish aircraft maker, announced that it was placing further manufacturing orders worth R100-million with South African arms maker, Denel.
The state-owned manufacturer is assembling two sections of the advanced Gripen fighter aircraft. Under the new contract, it will gradually start manufacturing all the components of the main landing unit and rear fuselage section of the fighter, now being manufactured for the Swedish and South African Air Forces.
It will also manufacture 60 sets of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) standard weapons and stores pylons.
Saab made the announcement to a group of South African journalists touring its extensive facilities at Linkoping in central Sweden.
“The new orders providing work for Denel Aviation cover a basket of contracts for the manufacture and supply of sub-assemblies and tooling for new Gripen fighters,” spokesperson Linden Birns said.
“These latest orders stem directly from Saab's defence industrial participation obligations linked to South Africa's purchase of Gripen aircraft under the strategic defence procurement programme.”
The rear fuselage unit is the section of the aircraft housing the engine, afterburner and auxiliary power unit (a smaller jet engine used to provide ground power and to start the main engine).
In addition to its streamlined shape, this part of the aircraft has to be well insulated and involves the application of some stealth technology to reduce the heat signature of the aircraft, making it a more difficult target for heat-seeking missiles.
The main landing gear fuselage unit is a section of the aircraft body which houses the undercarriage and complex hydraulic, electrical and flight control systems.
Each of the 60 Nato-standard pylon sets includes four pylons, making a total of 240.
These are under-wing stubs from which air force personnel can hang missiles, bombs, fuel- and reconnaissance pods.
The pylons were designed and developed in South Africa under an earlier contract.
Sweden is buying around 200 Gripens and South Africa 28.
Fourteen of the Swedish aircraft will soon be upgraded for sale to Hungary. Part of the remanufacturing will involve fitting the South African-made Nato pylons. As South Africa was the sole manufacturer of the Nato-standard pylons and would from next year be the only maker of the rear fuselage and main landing gear units, the country would further benefit from these orders, if placed with Saab. – Sapa
