Saab not attending Swiss flight tests

[Thunder]

The Swiss defence procurement agency, armasuisse, has formally recommended to Saab not to participate with Gripen E in the upcoming flight tests in Switzerland. The reason is that the flight tests have been designed to only evaluate aircraft that are operationally ready in 2019.
https://www.blogbeforeflight.net/2019/0 ... tests.html

[SquAdmin]

Remarkable that the Next Gen Gripen was ever considered as a kinda 'off-the-shelve' alternative to the F-35. By now it has only just started its test phase...

[Coati]

Subsequently the JAS-39E is eliminated from the competition because of the failure to participate with the flight evaluation. Contenders left: F-35A, F/A-18E, Typhoon, Rafale.

[Krazy]

Subsequently the JAS-39E is eliminated from the competition because of the failure to participate with the flight evaluation. Contenders left: F-35A, F/A-18E, Typhoon, Rafale.

Shouldn't that be ' it is eliminated because it is not an operational aircraft in the year 2019 ' ?
That was the reason why the discussion about the Gripen E started.
The E could participate, but due to the reason above Saab decided to withdraw (or the Swiss cancelled the whole thing, I suspect it was discussed internally)

[Coati]

On the Armasuisse website it was stated that an offer to test with C/Ds was turned down, as well as testing the E in a later stage. The latter because that would not be an equal treatment between contenders. Therefore Saab had to drop out.

[Alpha Kilo One]

Pity. That agile little thing fits in perfect in Switzerland.

[SquAdmin]

Pity. That agile little thing fits in perfect in Switzerland.

Agree, the requirement is for an air defense fighter only this time and a nimble, relatively low cost fighter would have been ideal.

My guess is that the Rafale has the best specs now, being the only jet which presents a mature design combined with AESA radar and impressive sensor integration.

But yet another referendum and it will all be over again...

[Coati]

The new fighter will replace both the F-5 and F-18. I cannot find anywhere a statement that Switzerland is only interested in an “Air defence fighter only”, which would not make sense given the fact that 8 different missions had to be flown during testing.
The most capable fighter in the competition is the F-35, but some people just have a problem to admit that.

[evhest]

But then again, who said the Swiss look for the ‘most capable’ jet?

[Coati]

Who said they are looking for an inferior aircraft?
My response was aimed at the remark that the Rafale has the best specs, which is not the case, if I go by its historische in fighterbids. As always in a competition they have set a while list of requirements, about capabilities, cost, cost of operations and maintaining, industrial offset etc etc. Since the F-35 won in every open competition in which the Rafale (and Gripen) participated in as well, so far, that remark about the Rafale was not based on facts.

[F17_114PM]

The many wins of the F-35 are also a result of politics ...
Don't saying that it is not a great plane. It is.
But you must see the whole package including geopolicy.

[SquAdmin]

Just one of many reports on this topic:

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/ ... -35s-62217
"“with air policing one of Switzerland’s primary requirements for its new aircraft"

Maybe not the only requirement, but definitely the most important one. That's also why simultaneously a new ground based air defense system will be selected.

Yes, the F-35 has won other competitions, but evaluation criteria were different (offensive strike capabilities and potential for growth to name a few). And as mentioned above, geopolitics play an important role as well...

[Stafsels]

And of course an other important question: which aircraft should Patrouille de Swiss be flying 2027 and onwards?

F-18e Super Hornets for the Swiss with some m-346 aircraft for ground/education roles?

Kind regards,

Stafsels

[Erazkiel]

You also forgot two very important points.
-Offsets, F35' offsets are very very low (to not say not existing). Rafale/Dassault is well implanted and have several partners in Switzerland.
-Independance, not possible with the F35 due to ALIS but also with multiples "black boxes" (and the possibility for the US to "switch off" the plane). Dassault is giving everything to the swiss. All plans, codes, no black boxes. Basically, they will do what they want with their Rafale without asking permition to Dassault. And this is VERY important for the swiss people.