Defence

Saab has been given until 30 September to provide the remaining answers in its incomplete response to a Dutch questionnaire on a replacement for the Royal Netherlands Air Force's Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters.

The original deadline for responses expired on 25 August, but Saab-led Gripen International requested extra time to obtain approvals from the USA to publicly release some information about its fixed-price offer of 85 Gripen NG (Next Generation) multirole fighters.

Dutch undersecretary of defence Jack de Vries says the extension means he will inform Dutch parliamentarians about the findings of the questionnaire a month later then planned, but still ahead of their end-of-year break.

The Gripen NG faces competition from Lockheed's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and also from the company's Advanced F-16 design.

© Saab