Two Gripen fighters left the SAAB factory in Sweden and headed to Finland to participate in the tests of the Finnish HX Challenge program (Finland's new air defense vector program). The Gripens arrived at the air base in Pirkkala, Finland, this week and will be tested in the cold climate of the Nordic European country.
In addition to the Gripen E (39-10), a Gripen D (old version) and a GlobalEye radar plane are also present.
The Swedish fighters will participate in the tests for the HX Challenge program. In these tests, Finnish pilots, technicians and specialists will be able to test the fighters, mainly the E, which is of interest to the Finnish Air Force.
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Well, as we already posted here on the portal, Finland wants to exchange its old F/A-18C/D Hornet fighters for more modern fighters, five large companies in the sales sector enter with their appropriate fighters, SAAB with the Gripen E/F, Boeing with the F/ A-18E/F Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin with the F-35A Lightining II and Airbus/BAE Systems with the Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault with the Rafale.
One of the steps in the Finnish program is testing the appropriate competing fighters, tests that have already taken place with the Dassault Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon and now it has come to the turn of the SAAB Gripen E.
Among the tests that should take place during the month of February, the Gripens E will play certain roles, including facing the current Finnish Hornets.
It is important for SAAB to show that its new fighter is capable of competing with the above-mentioned fighters and thus achieve another international agreement. The first agreement was with Brazil, signed in 2015. There will be a total of 36 fighter units, with some units going to be built here in Brazil. The first units of the fighter should arrive in Brazil in 2021. The first Gripen (F-39) of the FAB made its first flight in Sweden in August 2019.
The country's typical climate is a challenge for competing fighter jets, which even made to operate in extreme climates can suffer from temperature changes and this can affect the fighter sensors. Therefore
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Regarding the Gripen offer, SAAB plans to make an offer of 12 F fighters (two-seat) and 52 units of the E version (single-seat). In addition Finland would have GlobalEye for airborne early warning/surveillance missions.
Both the American Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin's stealthy F-35A Lightining II are expected to be tested later this year.
Upon finalizing the due assessments, competing companies could win a €10 billion purchase contract, so that Finland can replace its F-18C/D Hornet fighters.
