And they did in fact fly down with two NATO-pylons on the wings.
So the planes are fully ready if politics change.
Photo: JAS 39C at NAS Sigonella, April 2 Cred: Ola Nilsson
5 more SwAF JAS 39 launched this morning as planned.
And they did in fact fly down with two NATO-pylons on the wings.
So the planes are fully ready if politics change.
GBU's in the arsenal brought to Libya after all.
From www.mil.se
Google translate.
The right weapon for the operation
Published: April 4, 2011 at 18:34
LIBYA In order to maintain the no-fly zone over Libya carrying the Swedish JAS Gripen plan the weapons needed to solve the task.
This means that the Armed Forces means ammunition for the gun, heat-seeking and radar-guided missiles and precision bombs. In terms of precision bombs, they are only for use against air defense on the ground in a self defense situation.
- The likelihood of the use of precision bombs are very small, "said Air Force Inspector Anders Silwer.
Currently, the Armed Forces until the operation rules to be applied to the Swedish unit in the operation. These action rules based on the operation rules of the coalition and has the mandate of the Armed Forces have been given by the parliament and government for the operation.
Armed Forces will not comment on what types of weapons which are carried on each flight mission.
A good photo.
Photo: Lars-Åke Siggelin/Försvarsmakten
This is from the TTP ex in early March when the SwAF development unit TU JAS also took the opportunity to validate LINK-16. Previous L16 tests has mainly been a FMV/SAAB affair so now it's finally coming into the SwAF.
Gripens from four divisions, Two ASC-890 Erieye's, the C-130 tanker, Finnish Hornets and Norwegian F-16s took part in the TTP which at times had 36 jets in the air. 1000 flight hours produced, 42,000-lbs fuel from tanker a/c. A2A, A2G with precision strike. NVG flights and so on. Good.
And now (soon) the tanker is in Italy.. as well as 2 of those jets in that photo. 227 and 270.
Article
Last edited by signatory; 04-05-2011 at 06:29 AM.
Yet another round in the Swiss fighter story...
Swiss look for more, better fighters
StratPost
April 6, 2011
By Saurabh Joshi
Switzerland is again in the market for fighter aircraft after having announced a postponement of a decision, last year, to purchase the replacements for their F-5 Tiger aircraft.
Significantly, not only is the Swiss Air Force looking for additional capabilities in the aircraft, like an AESA radar, it is also planning to increase the order size from 22 to 36. This would result in an increase in the value of the order from the USD 3-5 billion estimated last year.
Switzerland was considering the Swedish SAAB’s Gripen, EADS’ Eurofighter and the French Dassault’s Rafale to replace their F-5 aircraft, before it put the tender process on hold last year, ostensibly for budgetary reasons.
But the Swiss are now looking at other options as well and have invited Boeing to offer the F/A-18 Super Hornet. This could partly be a result of a feeling that they might be able to achieve cost savings, keeping in mind the existing infrastructure for the upgraded F-18 Hornets, which they already operate.
Swiss officials traveled to St. Louis in recent weeks, where they were briefed on the aircraft.
This comes after a change in the political dispensation in the country, from an earlier regime that was more keen on considering an exclusively European solution for their fighter aircraft requirement.
And for that matter, Kuwait, too, is kicking the tires on the Super Hornet. Commemorating the 20th anniversary of its liberation from Iraq this year, Kuwait already operates the Enhanced Performance Engine (EPE)-powered F-18 C/D. According to Abu Dhabi-based newspaper, The National, a proposed purchase of the Rafale was questioned by Kuwaiti Members of Parliament last year, who said they considered the aircraft overpriced and technically deficient.
Source: http://www.stratpost.com/swiss-look-...etter-fighters
Boeing is pretty clever in how they use a few strategically located foreign news-blogs to distribute marketing without having its company name tagged all over the story.
Seems like they had some fuel problems today, apparentley the americans run their machines on some fuel that is not fully compatible with the one used for Gripen, care to shed some light on this sig?
http://www.aftonbladet.se/senastenyt...cle12844017.ab
Sigonella is a US Naval Air Station and the Swedish contingent is stationed on the American part of the base. US Navy uses a special aviation fuel called JP-5 whereas Gripen uses standard Jet A-1 which isn't available there. Shouldn't be much more to it than to call in a fuel truck, but obviously someone didn't do his/her job.
I dunno, ever tried to work with Italian contractors?Especially on Sicily...
Seems a bit shady though.
SELEX Galileo to expand its presence in Brazil http://bit.ly/g3rISk (pdf)
More about the Agreement with ATMOS:
The agreement with ATMOS, which follows on from a recent memorandum of understanding,
focuses on individual target programmes such as the Raven ES-05 AESA for Gripen Next
Generation (NG), and details the training, development, production and support activities to
be carried out by ATMOS.
In addition to the Raven ES-05 AESA radar for the Saab Gripen NG proposed for the FX-2
programme, the agreement also covers all radars in the SELEX Galileo portfolio including the
Seaspray 5000E and 7000E AESA surveillanc
Photos: SwAF preps at Sigonella #UnifiedProtector
Album
Cred: Sgt Johan Lundahl/Combat Camera
Force Commander Wilson said at a press conf they now have a order from NATO for the first mission to be executed this afternoon.
It's worth to mention since it's kind of historic for multiple reasons.
BTW, this comment I made earlier..
lol. Anders Silwer said they had a delay on the fuel due to a civilian contractor. I wanna see those invoices when they get back!I dunno, ever tried to work with Italian contractors? Especially on Sicily...
Last edited by signatory; 04-07-2011 at 06:29 AM.
Really nice picture, but why are they flying only with a single missile? Other allied fighters that were send to Italian, or Greek bases were fully armed when they left their home countries.
Regarding the fuel issue, does it mean the Gripen NG Demonstrator is also using a different fuel because it has the F18SH engine?