Bullish Saab Sets Rollout Date For Gripen E
Progress with Brazilian program, and the overall sales campaign, was described in a briefing at the Singapore Airshow
Saab is discussing the sale of six more Gripens to Thailand. (photo: Chris Pocock)
Saab is discussing the sale of six more Gripens to Thailand. (photo: Chris Pocock)

Saab will roll out the first Gripen E version at Linkoping, Sweden on May 18, said Richard Smith, the company’s head of marketing and sales for the combat aircraft. In a bullish briefing at the Singapore Airshow last week, Smith said that thanks to the 60 new-build E/F jets for Sweden, plus the Brazilian Gripen order and other surveillance and submarine programs, the Swedish company’s backlog was at an all-time high of $13.5 billion. The Gripen thus has a guaranteed long-term future, and the sales goal was “at least 300 more,” Smith said.