By Robert Wall
Saab AB (SAABB) says sales prospects for its Gripen fighter are improving as country’s such as Denmark and Canada reconsider buying the Lockheed Martin (LMT) Corp. F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and others set fighter purchase plans.
Sales of current model Gripens and the NG, the next generation model, may exceed 300 units in the next two decades, Eddy de La Motte, head of Gripen Exports said today. A lease of fighters to Malaysia, a new sale to Finland and a follow-on deal with Thailand are possible, he said in an interview.
European and U.S. combat jet makers such as Boeing Co. (BA), Lockheed Martin and European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co. are battling in numerous overseas markets as domestic orders come to an end, risking the closure of production facilities. Saab secured Gripen’s future with an agreement from its home country, Sweden, and Switzerland to jointly develop the new version to be delivered from 2018.
Read the full story at Bloomberg