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Saab Global
Gripen E

Offering the IAF Pilots Enhanced Survivability

3 min read + Video

Imagine a high-tempo aerial battlefield – silent sensors, advanced data links, high-precision missiles, and a complex web of the electromagnetic spectrum. To stay ahead of the opponent and ensure high survivability in a sophisticated scenario like this, a fighter pilot needs a new generation of capabilities. Read on to know how Saab has used the most advanced technologies to offer enhanced survivability to Gripen pilots.

Advanced Situational Awareness

In the era of electronic warfare, information and situational awareness are paramount for a fighter pilot. Gripen’s onboard sensors work in tandem with other battlefield sensors, offering critical, real-time data to the pilot. A combination of accurate signal analysis and extensive electronic intelligence (ELINT) signal collection results in faster, more accurate decisions and hence tactical superiority.

Saab has envisioned Gripen E as an extension of the pilot‘s mind and body. It means the Gripen pilot should be able to access and control everything intuitively. “Through an advanced Human-Machine Collaboration (HMC), pilots can get information in ways they decide – buttons, widescreen, blocks, Helmet Display, or audio. Not just that, they receive only the information they need at a point in time, not an overwhelming data dump. For the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots, it means an accurate picture of threat levels,” says Kent-Åke Molin, Sales and Marketing Director at Saab.

Adaptable and Unpredictable

Regardless of the fact that an Air Force may possess world-class equipment, it is always wise to not undermine the capabilities of its adversaries. Owing to fast-developing technologies in the defence domain, one needs a fighter aircraft that is quick to adapt and is ready to face a new set of challenges with every new battle.

“To win a modern-day battle, a force needs to be unpredictable. Gripen can be adapted in hours. For example, just at the end of day one of a conflict, Gripen can analyse every step the opponent took and adapt its software to take them by surprise the next day,” Kent-Åke says.

Lethality

For Gripen, weapon integration is not a complex process. Its 10 hard points can be equipped with weapons and pods from any country. This allows for a customised system based on the specific challenges the operating country has to handle. “Weapons including long-range missiles like Meteor, IRIS-T missiles, and heavy anti-ship armaments can be easily integrated to Gripen. A robust weapon system and the ability to use offensive and defensive means simultaneously ensures survivability, and in any battlefield, survivability is everything,” says Kent-Åke.