In five weeks, it is seriously in the largest arms deal of the Swiss military history. 11. April test Swiss experts on the military airfield in Payerne five of the most advanced fighters in the world on the heart and kidneys. On the ground and in the air, in the Simulator and in real flight. The results of this flight – and ground tests later Central to the decision of the Federal Council , which Jet is the Swiss army to get. It is a business of around six billion Swiss francs.
In the run-up to this preliminary flight and ground tests, in-circle of the five manufacturers now, an internal Letter from the defense Department (VBS) for irritation. In a letter from the end of January, the content of this newspaper is known, by the arms authority Armasuisse for the suppliers in the harsh tone of the Tariff. You will not hesitate to warn Armasuisse, to send one or more manufacturer’s home immediately, if you are not able to comply with the conditions of the Tests. Under the Letter of Darko Savic, the program Manager for Armasuisse for the fighter jet procurement is signed.
In the Letter, Savic announces that he and his people would accept in Payerne, no excuses and promises in the style of: “Sorry, at the Moment, this or that application works, but to the delivery of the Jets, we will fix the Problem.” If a vendor could not fulfil a test task, because a System is not technically Mature yet, will he excluded immediately from the competition, warns Armasuisse. Such an exclusion could even be “made during the ongoing flight tests”, it says in the Letter.
lesson from the debacle
The Writing of Armasuisse means that Even if the Federal Council should cases, the types of decision on the new fighter according to the current timetable, at the earliest, the end of 2020, so the race could be run for one or more of the five providers already much earlier – namely already in the next few weeks.
The five Jetanbieter in alphabetical order for the test program. The opening concert on 11. April, the company Airbus Hornet, the Eurofighter Typhoon, the American Boeing company the F/A-18 Super, the French company Dassault with the Rafale and Lockheed Martin with the stealth Jet, the F-35A. The conclusion of the Swedish company Saab with the Gripen E.
in the second half of June, as we Heard the harsh tones coming out of the VBS for at least a part of the Jetanbieter surprising – all the more so, as Armasuisse in your letter also stresses that they themselves have sole competence, to cases, an exclusion decision.
five of These Jets makes the Federal Council Parmelin test. Video: Tamedia / AFP / Saab / Lockheed Martin
On request, this is confirmed by Armasuisse spokesman Kaj-Gunnar Sievert. His authority should “formally such an exclusion, based on an objective assessment, self-perform,” says Sievert. “In practice,” would you take, however, prior consultation with the VBS Director Viola Amherd.
The strict requirements formulated by Armasuisse, the Gripen is a real “Lex”. The armor of authority, taking their Lessons from the last fighter jet-Evaluation, which ended in may 2014 in a debacle: With a negative referendum at the ballot box. An important Argument in the referendum campaign was at the time, the choice of the Gripen Jet is a half-baked “paper plane”.
debate in the Bud
Actually, the Gripen manufacturer Saab Switzerland had offered at the time, a fighter jet of the type Gripen E. In the flight tests, which found in 2008 at the airfield in Emmen, instead, was able to test the Swiss army, but it was only in the previous model, the Gripen C/D,.
this Time, Armasuisse wants to prevent that the paper airplane argument may also arise. In Payerne, you want only the rate, what is in the Jets really exist and works. Crucial to the four main subsystems are Armasuisse spokesman Sievert explains. These are: the Radar, the equipment for electronic warfare, optical Sensors, and the so-called Datalink.
These four sub-systems would have to reach at the time of the flight tests, a technological maturity of at least seven out of nine points, says Sievert. This means that the tested systems are those systems that are later delivered, was “very close”.
Whether all the five Jets create this hurdle, it will show between April and June. The Gripen E anyway, the provoked the “Lex Gripen”, is developed according to the manufacturer Saab now finished. A company spokesperson shall notify, in January, the Gripen E went into series production. (Editorial Tamedia)
Created: 01.03.2019, 21:32 PM
