By ANDREW CHUTER
KUALA LUMPUR — Saab has confirmed it has submitted proposals to the Malaysian government for the lease of Gripen fighters but said it wasn’t responding to a formal request for information.
Company executives said they delivered proposals earlier this year but wouldn’t reveal how many ex-Swedish Air Force C/D model aircraft are involved or the length of a possible lease deal.
Local Malaysian company DRB Hicom Defence Technologies will be its partner. The two companies already team on Saab’s bid to secure an airborne early warning aircraft program in Malaysia.
The Gripen fighter jet maker is the only one of the potential suppliers for Malaysia’s requirement for a multirole aircraft to at least partially declare its hand after the government in Kuala Lumpur effectively stalled a program to purchase jets outright and encouraged competitors to come up with a more affordable solution.
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