Switzerland invites Gripen team to bid for F-5 Tiger replacement
Gripen International has received a formal invitation fromv armasuisse, the Swiss defence material administration, to submit initial bids for the supply of Gripen fighter aircraft to replace the Swiss Air Force’s ageing F-5 combat aircraft. The Swiss Armed Forces plan to replace their fleet of F-5 fighter aircraft in the next decade and Gripen is one among four invited suppliers.
The invitation from the Swiss authorities to the Gripen team to bid, follows the recent receipt of similar invitations from India, Norway, Denmark and Thailand, and is further evidence of the big interest Gripen is generating worldwide. The Gripen team’s response to the Swiss invitation to bid is required to be submitted in mid-2008.
Manne Koerfer, Sales and Marketing Director for Switzerland said ” Gripen is the independent choice, resulting in less dependencies, and that the offer to Switzerland will also include industrial co-operation characterized by partnerships of equals.
Gripen is already in-service with the air forces in Sweden, Czech Republic and Hungary and deliveries to the South African air force will begin this year. Gripen is also operated by the UK’s Empire Test Pilot School (ETPS) for training test pilots worldwide. The procurement process between the Thai and Swedish governments, following Thailand’s selection of Gripen to replace the Royal Thai Air Force F-5 aircraft, is also nearing conclusion.