MILITARY ACQUISITIONS, May 17, 2016
Botswana Defence Force Air Wing is set to acquire 16 Saab JAS-39C/D Gripen Multirole fighters.
According to Business Weekly & Review, Botswana has selected the Saab Gripen multirole fighter.
Swedish air force has signed a contract to upgrade its aircraft. Botswana will spend about US $ 1.63 billion should the delivery be made within two to three years.
Saab JAS 39 Gripen in Brief
- Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a light single-engine multirole fighter aircraft.
- Manufactured is by Swedish aerospace company Saab.
- The fighter jet was designed to replace the Saab 35 Draken and 37 Viggen in the Swedish Air Force.
- Gripen Multirole fighter has a delta wing and canard configuration with relaxed stability design and fly-by-wire flight controls.
- Powered by the Volvo RM12, and has a top speed of Mach 2.
- Later Saab aircraft are modified for NATO interoperability standards and to undertake in-flight refueling.
