Finally a decision. Swedish gov to support NEURON

[signatory]

http://www.saabaerosystems.com/images/18.12eabae10570ff81f98000283/neuron.jpg

http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/5124/a/55459
press release in Swedish

key points

The center-left-green finally agreed to support SAAB on their co-operation in the NEURON UCAV program. The Defense material Administration may order the development of a product demonstrator and enter co-operation with France in the area of unmanned warplanes.

Saab will put up 600 million SEK over a 10 year period and the Swedish state only 80 million compared to a previous suggestion of 750 million.
To compensate SAAB the Swedish gov is allocating 600 million towards the Gripen development fund during the years 2005-2012. Details will be arranged under the first half of 2006 as to what exactly it should be spent on.

As a result of joining the NEURON project the actual cost of developing systems for the Gripen will be reduced by 30 million SEK thanks to the co-operation with France.

...
(SEK=Swedish krona)

Oddly enough all parties including SAAB and the defense minister seem happy about this deal. Which means, there will be some other negative surprise for us fans of military hardware. (The Greens will have their revenge, count on it)

[Greek soldier]

A Christmas gift for SAAB!

Revenge? Maybe they will reject any frigate/destroyer plans.

(Had the parties not agreed, for sure SAAB would sack additional employees, in times of high unemployment)

[Resurrection]

Haha I've been waiting since 1600 for someone to post about this. For some reason I didn't want to. :p Anyway, great news! :D

[signatory]

I have to say I am pretty happy with this decision. Money where it matters.

The first decision was to take money from the gripen budget and imo I'd rather see them not do that. So I'm happy with this. But It's also nice to increase the R&D knowledge in the unmanned flight area as it's good for not just UCAV's but also Gripen, commuter jet technology and space research.

I'm not sure this gov will make many more decisions on big military systems before the next election and it's possibly we will get a center-right gov that time. And they have a slightly different view on the military. They were strongly against the previous budget plan for the Neuron afaik.

[signatory]

Haha I've been waiting since 1600 for someone to post about this. For some reason I didn't want to. :p Anyway, great news! :D


I didn't want to post until they actually had a solid press release. Been too many yes/no BS this year... :P

[Greek soldier]

The good thing is that Greece for the first time will collaborate with SAAB :)

[Resurrection]

I have to say I am pretty happy with this decision. Money where it matters.

The first decision was to take money from the gripen budget and imo I'd rather see them not do that. So I'm happy with this. But It's also nice to increase the R&D knowledge in the unmanned flight area as it's good for not just UCAV's but also Gripen, commuter jet technology and space research.

I'm not sure this gov will make many more decisions on big military systems before the next election and it's possibly we will get a center-right gov that time. And they have a slightly different view on the military. They were strongly against the previous budget plan for the Neuron afaik.
Fully agree with you there mate. It'd be quite interesting to see how the right-wingers handle the military arena if they're elected. We'd probably join NATO and forget about only limiting ourselves to international missions that have a UN mandate, etc. That's what I'm hoping for anyway.


I didn't want to post until they actually had a solid press release. Been too many yes/no BS this year... :P
Haha yeah true true. :)


The good thing is that Greece for the first time will collaborate with SAAB :-)
Yup that's also good news! What Greek companies are going to take part in the Neuron project?

[Greek soldier]

Hellenic Aerospace Industries for now. They will take the exhaust and aft fuselage. Later on additional companies too.

http://www.aviationnow.com/shownews/05paris/aircraft17.htm

BTW, is Volvo going to elaborate with Turbomeca?

http://www.saab.se/node3299.asp?id=2005122021940

[signatory]

Volvo will design the engine outlet nozzle

[Greek soldier]

Will it have TVC? (UCAV with TVC is rather futuristique!)

[signatory]

Will it have TVC? (UCAV with TVC is rather futuristique!)

Hmm... I have never heard of that in the talk about NEURON but hmmm that would be interesting since there's no human aspect to think about. :)
But perhaps the vectoring nozzle would cause problems with the stealth signature.

[signatory]

heh, side news. more xmas presents to SAAB ?

ISLAMABAD, Dec 20 : The Senate Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production which met in the Parliament House here on Tuesday under the Chairmanship of Senator Nisar Ahmed Memon has unanimously supported the Government proposals regarding the purchase of SAAB Surveillance System and the planes for use by the VVIPs.

http://www.pakistanlink.com/Headlines/Dec05/20/13.htm

Looks like it's a much smaller number of planes than they wanted before the quake

[Resurrection]

Haha sweet, SAAB is going to be quite busy next year if the deal goes through. It's already decided that they're going to modify our assault rifles, work on Gripen upgrades as usual, and now the Neuron. It's the total opposite situtation for Kockums.

[Greek soldier]

Kockums?

Well Thyssen threatens Greece that if the Navy doesn't purchase something from them (see frigate), they will sack 400 employees from the Skaramanga Shipyards.

Let's see: Visby or Landsort or both for the Navy?? Let's take both and make the German-Swedes happy :)

[signatory]

Might as well paste this xmas present too

2005-12-21 11:40

Saab wins MSEK 164 order for Swedish Armed Forces battle management system

Saab Systems has won an order worth MSEK 164 to develop and deliver SLB – Stridsledning Bataljon, the Army’s tactical C2 system. The system will be developed with the Swedish Armed Forces and the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, and is a new battle management system for commanding units up to battalion level.

In the longer term SLB will form the basis of Sweden’s tactical military command and control systems, and will not only be used in the mechanized units but also in amphibian battalions, air base battalions and EU Battle Groups.

“This is a tremendously important order for us,” says Peter Wimmerström, head of Air & Land Systems at Saab Systems. “It is a long-term undertaking for the Swedish Armed Forces and the next generation network based systems, and puts us in a strong position on the world market.”

[Greek soldier]

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/cgi-bin/client/modele.pl?session=dae.16972648.1135185318.Q6mNpsOa9dUAABKwLq4&modele=jdc_34