Swedish defence company Saab has again pitched Gripen E fighter jets to India, while also aiming to create “the world’s most advanced aerospace industry.”
Mikael Franzen, Chief Marketing Officer for Gripen and Vice President of Business Area Aeronautics at Saab, told reporters at the Singapore Airshow that the Gripen E is “the most modern and cost-effective fighter jet system on the market” and would significantly enhance the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) air power through world-leading sensor fusion, networking capabilities and rapidly expanding artificial intelligence features.”
In our engagements with the Government of India, we have proposed the creation of the world’s most advanced aerospace industry, comprising multi-layered design, production, and maintenance, Franzen said.
He emphasised that the Gripens would complement the IAF’s existing fleet of French Rafale and indigenous Tejas fighter jets.
“The highest availability of any fighter gives an unrivalled combat mass to counter any adversary. Gripen will fit perfectly in the IAF together with Rafale and Tejas,” he added.
Franzen claimed that Saab Gripen is the only aircraft that allows air forces to independently develop, qualify, incorporate, and certify their own software without manufacturer involvement.
This capability enables the IAF to independently integrate indigenous software and artificial intelligence into Gripen’s highly agile avionics architecture, with updates that can be rapidly scaled as processing power and AI technologies advance, he explained.
Franzen labelled the offer as a “stepping stone” to support India’s indigenous fighter programs, including the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
“The infusion of industrial capabilities and new technologies makes Gripen a potential stepping stone to bolster India’s indigenous fighter projects such as AMCA,” he said.
He called the Gripen E a “game changer” at two levels: a platform that can be inducted quickly and in large numbers, and a technology powerhouse that enables proficiency in net-centric warfare, electronic warfare, and kill-chain operations through continuous updates and upgrades.
Saab’s Earlier Pitch
Earlier, ahead of Aero India 2025 in Bangalore, Saab had promoted to sell Gripen jets to the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The IAF was planning to acquire 114 Medium-Role Fighter Aircraft. Saab, at that time, insisted that the Gripen-E would be the fastest-delivered aircraft if selected.
Kent-Ake Molin, Head of the Gripen India campaign, had said: “Gripen’s exceptional capabilities align seamlessly with India’s defense needs, offering advanced weapons, cutting-edge sensors, countermeasures systems, and pilot-friendly Human-Machine Collaboration (HMC).”
Saab had assured that it would deliver the first Gripen-E/F aircraft to the IAF within three years. “The Gripen E aircraft will be the fastest delivery to the IAF on signing of the contract.”
Saab’s proposal includes the transfer of Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) capabilities, the local production of aircraft components and the assembly of engines, and the establishment of a state-of-the-art Gripen Design Centre in Bangalore.
“We would like to position India as a potential export hub for Gripen E aircraft and related systems. Our proposal promises a self-reliant defense industry that supports itself and serves international markets as well,” Kent-Ake had said.
Saab’s technology transfer offer goes far beyond Gripen; it could also support indigenous programs such as the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
The Saab JAS 39 E/F Gripen is a light, single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft manufactured by Saab AB, a Swedish aerospace and defense company.
The Gripen has a delta-wing and canard configuration, a relaxed-stability design, and fly-by-wire flight controls. The first flight took place in 1988, and the first serial production airplane was delivered in 1993.
Record Orders for Saab
Last week, Saab announced that orders reached record levels in the fourth quarter amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Order bookings amounted to 100.1 billion kronor (USD $11.1 billion) in the last quarter of 2025, up from 17.6 billion kronor in the period a year earlier.
Saab’s order backlog now amounts to 274.5 billion kronor. “The geopolitical landscape remains in a state of high uncertainty, with tensions in multiple regions around the world,” chief executive Micael Johansson said in a statement.
“This continues to underscore the importance of readiness, driving sustained growth in the global market for defence and deterrence capabilities,” he said.
Johansson said the company had received several “strategically important orders,” including for its Gripen fighter jets from Colombia, two of its GlobalEye aircraft to France, and an order to complete its A26 submarines from Sweden.
He added that towards the end of the year, Sweden and Saab had been selected to supply Poland with submarines.
For the full year, the company recorded order bookings of 168.5 billion kronor, a 74% increase from the previous year. Revenue for the full year rose to 79.1 billion kronor from 63.8 billion, and net profit reached 6.3 billion kronor after 4.2 billion in 2024.
However, India is on the verge of finalizing a government-to-government deal with France for 114 additional Rafale jets, valued at approximately Rs 3.25 lakh crore ($36–38 billion).
According to reports, the Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, is expected to meet soon and could grant Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the multi-billion-dollar acquisition.
The deal is structured around the latest Rafale F4 variant, but could also include the “cutting-edge” F5 variant. The push comes amid dwindling jets in IAF’s fleet, which is operating with only about 29–30 squadrons against a sanctioned strength of 42.
Earlier, Air Marshal M. Matheswaran (retired), who worked on the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), told EurAsian Times that India must secure a “risk-sharing” partner. Before that, India should bargain with two or three countries simultaneously for maximum leverage.
“We must choose a partner. We need a risk-sharing partner for AMCA and someone who can fill gaps in the development of LCA Mk2. Companies like Saab might be ready to take the mantle,” Matheswaran said.
Ex-IAF Vice Chief, Air Marshal Khosla, told EurAsian Times on acquiring 4th-gen jets: “No, we should not abandon it. The urgent need of the hour is to increase our capacity to fight and increase our fighter strength. We need to procure aircraft under the MRFA deal process to fill the gap, accelerate the project, increase the production rate of Tejas Mk-1A and Mk-2, and accelerate the AMCA project.”
When asked whether the Gripen would be the best fit, Air Marshal Khosla said: “I recommend going for the already tested and inducted Rafale aircraft (in phases). Adding another aircraft type will add to the already diverse inventory. Most contenders offer the listed benefits (ToT, Make in India, etc.). The extent of these offers needs to be assessed. However, go in for the Gripen if the deal is lucrative and provides maximum bang for the buck.”
Via: ET Online Desk
