Navalised Gripen to be developed in the UK

[boff180]

Hi guys,

This is an interesting announcement... with the massive reduction in F-35's being purchased, I wonder if the Tornado replacement could be supplemented with Navalised Gripens, especially as it's being designed here.

Saab to complete Sea Gripen design work in UK

Andy

[krustydave]

Fingers crossed eh!

[TIGER TIM]

With is SAAB JAS-39 and the proposed Sea Typhoon could we realy say goodbye to the F-35 for the FAA?

[ben mccarthy]

I doubt we'll change our minds but i think the Sea Gripen is the aircraft we need - its cheap, easy to maintain, good payload etc etc....

[Russ]

Isn't going to happen. The UK has always wanted and still wants the F-35. Makes perfect sense now we've decided to buy the F-35C. Why take a leap back in technology to buy a 4th generation fighter design, which wasn't designed for Carrier Ops when we can have a true 5th generation fighter that is designed for Carrier Ops?

[Mictheslik]

So the naval Gripen is going to be expensive and delayed.....oh wait, it's being developed IN Britain, not BY Britain

.mic

[ben mccarthy]

Isn't going to happen. The UK has always wanted and still wants the F-35. Makes perfect sense now we've decided to buy the F-35C. Why take a leap back in technology to buy a 4th generation fighter design, which wasn't designed for Carrier Ops when we can have a true 5th generation fighter that is designed for Carrier Ops?

True. But extremely expensive compared to other options and way over budget and behind schedule. Also we are only buying about 50...on the other hand, if we bought the Sea Gripen/ Rafale we could buy a dozen more

[Russ]

Isn't going to happen. The UK has always wanted and still wants the F-35. Makes perfect sense now we've decided to buy the F-35C. Why take a leap back in technology to buy a 4th generation fighter design, which wasn't designed for Carrier Ops when we can have a true 5th generation fighter that is designed for Carrier Ops?

True. But extremely expensive compared to other options and way over budget and behind schedule. Also we are only buying about 50...on the other hand, if we bought the Sea Gripen/ Rafale we could buy a dozen more

Name me a modern fighter that hasn't been over budget and behind schedule? We've delayed buying F-35's so we can buy the much cheaper full rate production examples - by then it won't be much more expensive than current aircraft like the Typhoon and Rafale for example. Afterall each Typhoon has cost the UK taxpayer £107m - not exactly "cheap".

The Naval Gripen idea is at best a paper plane at the moment. It hasn't been funded or developed - so what chance of it being available in the next 10 years? Slim, as you're pretty much starting again. Whereas there are now three F-35Cs flying. The amount of F-35C's to be ordered is yet to be defined for sure but I admit as the second Carrier is to be mothballed and sold, the 138 F-35's will probably be halved. I'd rather have one F-35C to three Naval Gripens.

[MikeH]

The UK has always wanted and still wants the F-35.

If you assess what the likely threat is and what any prospective protagonists will be able to afford, this statement begins to seem a tad hollow, considering the current economic situation. To those that think that a navalised Typhoon would be a relatively cheap option, never lose sight of the fact that BAE Systems would be involved.

[davedogman]

Naval version of the Gripen NG that is under development at SAAB linköping. The changes to make it naval is not all that major actually.

UK is not the target for sales.

[bigfatron]

Naval version of the Gripen NG that is under development at SAAB linköping. The changes to make it naval is not all that major actually.

I was wondering how much was involved myself. I assume the landing gear is already reasonably sturdy and takeoff performance is quite useful given the Swedish penchant for use of roads as improvised airbases? I would've thought it'd make for a much easier conversion than perhaps the navalised Sea Typhoon some have speculated about?

UK is not the target for sales.

Is it likely to come to fruition whilst the Indian contract is still up for grabs perhaps?

[Wes_Howes]

I think strengthening of the landing gear all round will be needed plus the airframe will need to be strengthened for the arrestor hook. Would folding wings be required? As the airframe is already small, I doubt it but I imagine it will be considered

[bigfatron]

I think strengthening of the landing gear all round will be needed plus the airframe will need to be strengthened for the arrestor hook. Would folding wings be required? As the airframe is already small, I doubt it but I imagine it will be considered

Yes, I suspect they'd get away with the folding wings. Its already got a slightly smaller wingspan than the Harrier did and is almost 4m narrower than the F35C (although the wingtips on that fold at least).

[krustydave]

Lets also not forget that IF we did buy them and put them on the new carriers
we are likely to buy so few, deploy so few at any one time and the carriers are sooo large compared to recent ships,
theres probably going to be plenty of space for an "air wing" of approx 12 gripens without folding wings...even F35s without folding wings!