Saab has conducted the debut flight of its third test example of the Gripen E, with aircraft 39-10 completing a 57min sortie from its Linkoping site on 10 June.
Lasse Hejdenberg/Saab
Flown by Saab experimental test pilot Jakob Hogberg, the single-engined fighter follows two previous examples, which began flight testing in June 2017 and November 2018, respectively.
A so-called Gripen Demo airframe is also due to resume flights in the near future in support of the E-model programme, having recently received updates, including the installation of a new wide area display in the rear cockpit.
Speaking late last month, Eddy de la Motte, Saab’s head of business unit Gripen E/F, said the company aims to have eight of the new-generation aircraft flying before the end of this year, including four production examples that are now in final assembly in Linkoping.
Launch customer the Swedish air force will receive 60 Gripen Es, with the first export customer, Brazil, to field a 36-strong fleet comprising 28 single-seat examples and eight two-seat F-model aircraft.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
