Brazilian Gripen order could have training spin-off for South Africa

24th January 2014

By: Keith Campbell

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

  

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South Africa may have the opportunity to provide flying training for Brazilian Air Force (FAB) Saab Gripen fighter pilots over the next few years. Such training would, of course, be paid for by the Brazilians. Although Saab has previously proposed setting up a Gripen fighter weapons school in South Africa, this would be a separate initiative and the idea hails from the FAB.

This would be the result of two major FAB developments last month. Firstly, on December 18, suddenly and unexpectedly Brazil announced that it had selected the next-generation Gripen E as its future fighter. The initial requirement is for 36 aircraft. Secondly, on December 20, the FAB officially retired its small force of Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters (although the aircraft were not grounded until December 31).

The Mirage 2000s were operated by the 1st Air Defence Group and were acquired second-hand from France in 2006. Only 12 were bought and reportedly only six were operated after 2011. They were obtained as interim replacements of the FAB’s by then very elderly Mirage IIIEs (which had entered service in 1972 and were Brazil’s first supersonic fighters), which had been retired in 2005. The 1st Air Defence Group is Brazil’s only dedicated fighter-interceptor unit (its other fast jet squadrons operate in the fighter-bomber and attack-reconnaissance fighter roles) and the Mirages (both types) were its only dedicated air defence/air superiority fighters.

Now, the air defence role is being temporarily filled by Northrop F-5EM fighter-bombers. Although radically upgraded, these aircraft are not regarded as being really suitable for the role. As for the Gripen Es, this year is going to be taken up with a series of complex contract negotiations and signings (with the last of these expected in December, a year after the selection was announced). The first of the Gripens will only be delivered to Brazil in 2018, at the earliest.

As a result, Brazil has expressed interest in leasing existing Gripen C/D aircraft to re-equip the 1st Air Defence Group until the new Gripen Es arrive. Sweden is reported to be willing to provide the aircraft, although this might involve upgrading first-generation Gripen A/B aircraft, no longer in service with the Swedish Air Force but kept in storage. In all probability, Brazil would acquire 12 as its interim fighter.

South Africa acquired 26 second-generation Gripens, composed of 17 single-seat Gripen Cs and nine two-seat Gripen Ds, although the South African Air Force does not operate them all at the same time. The FAB is inter- ested in doing its Gripen pilot con- version courses for any interim Gripen C/D aircraft in South Africa because the climatic con- ditions in South Africa are much closer to Brazil’s than those of Sweden. (The 1st Air Defence Group is based at the Anápolis Air Force Base, near the country’s capital, Brasilia, in the Brazilian cerrado, or savanna, which is rather akin to the South African bushveld.)

For the FAB requirement, the Gripen E was in competition with the Dassault Rafale and the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. When it announced the selection of the Gripen (the two-seat version of which will be the Gripen F), the Brazilian Ministry of Defence described the Swedish fighter as the best option, with the lowest price, lowest operating costs and offering the most technology transfer and offsets. The purchase of 36 Gripens will cost about $4.5-billion. Although the Gripen is, of course, an established and proven aircraft, the new-generation Gripen E version is still under development, which creates the opportunity for the Brazilian aerospace industry to help develop the aircraft, as well as manufacture components.

South African company Denel Aerostructures manufactured major and lesser components for the Gripen C/D series. However, it is far too soon to say if it could bid for any work on the Brazilian planes. It has been reported that, should this order for 36 Gripen Es go well, Brazil could order as many as a 100 more, setting up its own full-aircraft production line. The Gripen E has also been selected by Sweden (with an order of 60) and Switzerland (22, pending the result of a referendum this year).

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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