Swiss looking at Gripen purchase

[tigershark]

Swiss looking at Gripen purchase
In July, Saab plans to show the plane in Switzerland.

The Swiss military is about to purchase new aircraft and the Swiss are also interested in purchasing equipment, support systems, and maintenance. The Jas 39 Gripen is one of the planes under consideration.

In January Switzerland requested on which Saab is now working. But the exact number of planes Switzerland is interested in purchasing remains secret.

“The Swiss are now working out a procurement order and will conduct service tests in Switzerland of those planes in which they have an interest,” said Lasse Jansson, a spokesperson with Saab’s Gripen International sales company.

“We will be travelling down to Switzerland with the Gripen in July for an evaluation. It will continue for a short while into August.”

Following the evaluation, a decision will be taken regarding the submission of a formal bid.

Other planes in the competition include the French Rafale and the Eurofighter.

The Gripen will be the first plane to be tested in Switzerland, and Jansson is hopeful that the Gripen will eventually win the order.

“Interest is great and now there are three aircraft remaining. So things look promising,” he said.

The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) is also included and hopes to be able to sell training to the Swiss if the Gripen is chosen for the order.

Source
http://www.thelocal.se/12630/20080624/