Saab Awarded IRIS-T Integration Contract on Gripen

Released on Thursday, December 29, 2005

Saab was awarded contract worth SEK 150 million ($22 million) that involves the integration of the air-to-air missile IRIS-T on Gripen. The IRIS-T has previously been ordered by the Swedish Defence Material Administration for the purpose of enhancing Gripen's close combat performance.

The order involves the integration of the air-to-air missile on Gripen, where Saab will be carrying out flight trials to verify coordination between the guided missile and the Gripen fighter. Saab is planning to fire the first shot with IRIS-T in 2007, but the integration process will commence immediately after the year-end and continue to 2009.

The IRIS-T is an air-to-air missile used during aerial combat with the new generation of fighter aircraft and will in future replace the American Sidewinder. The development of the air-to-air missile IRIS-T is being conducted as an international industrial project with the participation of Germany, Greece, Italy, Sweden, Norway and Spain.

With the future integration of HMD (Helmet Mounted Display), IRIS-T will further enhance close combat performance for the Gripen system.