SHAH ALAM: SWEDISH company, Saab has upped the ante in its quest to sell its Gripen to Malaysia. It is now offering a couple of its MPA aircraft, the 340 MSA, for free if Malaysia selected the Gripen NG for the MRCA programme.
Saab had offered the Gripen NG together with its AEW aircraft as part of a combo deal. The offer for the free MPA was made- according to industry sources – to Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein at the recent DSEI 2015 in London, UK, recently.
I managed to check out the 340 MSA when it was displayed at the Singapore Airshow in 2014. Check out the video below.
The offer for the free planes could be seen as an act of desperation to some but it make sense as Malaysia has a requirement for 4 MPA as it had been reported previously. However as the MRCA programme remained officially on hold the offer for free MPAs could be deal changer or breaker, based on your outlook of course.
As the MSA is based on the 340, it is likely that the same airframe will be offered for the AEW (though I could be wrong) variant. It must be noted that only Saab is offering the combo deal (not a requirement of the MRCA programme) from the other competitors namely, the Boeing Super Hornet, the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Dassault Rafale.
Of the three only Boeing could offer something similar to Saab, though the cost of the Boeing AEW and MPA variants made it very unlikely. Boeing has the cheaper MSA variant, which came during LIMA 2015, though I have not heard anything of a combo offer let alone a freebie!.
As I had mentioned before the Gripen NG remained the outsider for the MRCA programme as the RMAF seemed to prefer a twin engine solution. However, Saab believed their offer remain attractive as they claimed it is the most economically viable for Malaysia even if the AEW and MPA are excluded.
With both the AEW and MPA already part of the RMAF and the Armed Forces requirements, perhaps Saab may have the winning package. As for the leasing offer of C/D versions of the Gripen to bridge the gap between the retirement of the Fulcrums and the introduction of the NG (in 2019 at the earliest), is still valid, I am told.
Saab has teamed up with Deftech to meet the requirements of the MRCA programme together with the AEW aircraft. However they have not teamed up for the MPA requirement. For that programme, Deftech is working with another airframer.
If the MPA requirement become a programme of record, Saab will offer the Swordfish MPA. Unlike the 340 MSA, the Swordfish is a full-blown MPA complete with sono -bouy launcher and armed with torpedoes and missiles.
— Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (59)
Buying Gripen NG with Saab 2000 AEW and Saab 2000 MPA seems like a package that is very economical and efficient for our rmaf. Having the same manufacturer and the fact that these planes have lower operating cost compared to others is well suited for us.
Thailand has bought both the Gripen and the T-50/FA-50. Would be nice to know how both of them compare within the same airforce.
When you compare gripens to the others, of course the operating costs are low as it is a small fighter, only a little bigger than the F-5E. Its low operating costs comes also with lower performance compared to other fighters.
If we get an AEW, a common data link and make improvements in other areas; I don't think the Gripen's 'lower performance" will be an issue for us. The statement a few years go by the former Chief of Switzerland's airforce : " The Gripen is not the perfect choice but it suits our requirements" can also be applied to us.
Well looking at its technical capability, this jet is quite formidable and may outperformed its larger adversary if in the hand of a skilled pilot. I'd say why not just grab the offer, it may never come twice. After all the jets are unlikely to see real action apart from simulated dog fight exercises, unless we have to take side if all hell breaks loose between China and USA in the SCS, which is unlikely. They will aged like the rest of our jets before we even realized it 20 years have passed and RMAF is looking for a new replacement again.
"May outperform its larger adversary if in the hand of a skilled pilot" and operating in conjunction with other assets including an AEW : as part of a networked environment, rather than a platform specific one. In short the effectiveness of whatever platform we get will be determined not so much by the actual platform but by the systems we acquire/develop to work with it.
Just as important as the actual platform is the AEW and the common data link: the importance of this - in this day and age - can't be overstated. If we're going to get an MRCA without an AEW (I don't see how we can afford either at present), the plain fact is that we won't be able to get the best of what the MRCA can offer : the RTAF and off course the RSAF will attest to this.
Don't think we can afford any mega defence project under present economic climate.Will have to wait until the price of crude oil goes back to over USD100 per barrel.In the meantime we have to find ways and means to keep the MIG 29s flying.It is interesting to learn the Syrians are still using the old MIG 21s against ISIS.We need to learn from the Syrians how they have been successful in maintaining the old Soviet fighter jet.
The Syrians are still using Fishbeds because they couldn't afford anything
else .... Their economy was/is in a mess; over the years there have been numerous reports of the Syrian buying new aircraft but all these never materialised as after the Cold War the Russians insisted on hard cash. It also helps that parts are still relatively easy to obtain from Russia and other countries. No doubt we have a lot to learn from many countries but the Syrian experience in keeping their Fishbeds flying is not one of them. Using the same analogy we have a lot to learn from the PN as it still operates ships that were laid down in WW2 and has a "new" flagship that was laid down in the late 1960's (I'm not insulting the PN BTW as I think its support crews do a great job by maintaining ships that are literally museum pieces).
Apart from Syria, there are other countries still using Fishbeds (Croatia and Romania included) or who have recently retired theirs. There are also other countries, who for want of anything better (either due to finances or embargoes) who still fly aircraft older than the Fishbeds (e.g. North Korean MiG-15s).
Very alluring offer from saab. As financial and current economic scenario is concern I think this is the best deal so far.
In fact i eould say buy whatever we can afford. It may not be the best but then we have some very good fighter in the su30mkm. So if we can get say 36 Grippen NG with AEW n MPA why not?. When we are rich we xan get the more sophisticated n ultra expensive planes. The only alternative we have is to get F16 the latest iterations or F15. These ate xheaper as its been a long time under production. Forget the super hornet. Its an end of production machine already. Whereas there are still buyers for both the f16 n f15. The t50 n f50 are not cheap either . Its about the price of the f16.
Buy cheaper planes but buy more . It will complement the Su
It rightly feels like desperation. With Brazil hinting heavily of further cuts and losing out of the Indonesian F-5 replacement project, the sales pipeline is looking very thin for Saab.