Swedish defence company Saab announced 26 April that it has received an order from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) for the development and integration of a new launch system for Gripen C/D and Gripen E.
The order, which is valued at approximately SEK 400 million ($41 million), was placed during the first quarter.
The order includes the development and integration of a new launch system for air-to-air missiles and countermeasure pods on Gripen C/D and Gripen E. The contract also includes options for subsequent series orders of launcher systems.
The launchers can be integrated with existing variants of weapon pylons and can carry all Gripen air-to-air missiles.
“The integration of the new launch system is an important component for ensuring the continued high availability of the Gripen system. After delivery, maintenance of the launch systems will be performed in Sweden, which further contributes to a secure supply of defence equipment for our customers,” says Åsa Schöllin, head of the Gripen Sustainment business unit.
The launcher is mounted to the aircraft’s weapon pylons and has a sophisticated connection between the aircraft and the weapons mounted on the launcher.
