Saab has not accepted defeat in the contest for Portugal’s next fighter jet. The Swedish defense group insists that its JAS 39 Gripen matches the Portuguese air force’s requirements more closely than the American F-35 does, with the aircraft’s Russia-focused design at the center of its argument.
Until recently, the F-35 was widely regarded as the most likely choice in Portugal’s fighter program. A changing US political climate and Lisbon’s unease about depending too heavily on American military equipment have, however, given rival bids a new opening, and Saab is using that window to promote the Gripen.
As Wirtualna Polska reported, Saab is presenting the Gripen as a fighter developed specifically to operate under the threat of Russia. Jussi Halmetoja, a former Swedish air force pilot and current adviser to the company, told CNN Portugal that the aircraft’s design process prioritised the realities of a possible conflict with Russian forces from the very start.
Designed for high-intensity combat
Halmetoja’s central argument is that the Gripen offers more operational capability than the F-35 in a high-intensity war. He pointed out that the American fighter was not designed to sustain the kind of combat tempo that the Swedish aircraft can maintain.
The most concrete advantage is the Gripen’s preparation time. According to Halmetoja, the fighter can be readied for its next sortie about ten minutes after landing, a capability that becomes critical when air bases are under pressure and sorties need to be launched in quick succession.
More than just the aircraft
Saab has built its offer around more than the aircraft itself. The proposal for Lisbon includes broad cooperation with Portuguese industry.
The Gripen has also drawn positive opinions from some Ukrainian military analysts, according to Wirtualna Polska. They say the aircraft can effectively counter Russian aviation and consider it one of the most interesting fighters currently available on the world market.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. Shutterstock/Karolis Kavolelis
