Saab expands ties with Indian firms for Gripen aerostructures
21 Feb 2019
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Swedish defence firm Saab AB, which is seeking to sell its Gripen fighter jets to the Indian Air Force, has offered to make 96 of the 110 fighter jets in India by setting up a production facility in one of the southern cities.
Saab, which is pitted against Boeing Co, Lockheed Martin Corp and Dassault Aviation SA in the bidding for the 110 fighter jet contract from the Indian Air Force, a deal worth more than $15 billion, said it has expanded ties with local aerospace firms for manufacturing Gripen aerostructures.
Saab said it has signed new memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with three of the country’s leading aerospace manufacturers - Dynamatic Technologies Limited, CIM Tools Private Limited and Sansera Engineering Limited.
Saab said the MoUs with CIM Tools and Sansera expand the existing working relationships on commercial aerostructures to the Gripen fighter and other defence-related products in the Saab portfolio.
The MoU with Dynamatic is a starting point to explore future joint opportunities in commercial and defence-related aerostructures work, including Gripen.
“Saab’s Aerostructures business unit has had a successful relationship with CIM Tools and Sansera for several years. Based on that experience we see these two companies can add great value to our Gripen ‘Make in India’ offer,” says Mats Palmberg, VP Industrial Partnerships and Head of Gripen for India. “The MoU with Dynamatic adds the capabilities of complex airframe assembly to Saab’s ‘Make in India’ offer for Gripen,” he added.
“I am pleased that the fruitful co-operation we have established over several years with CIM Tools and Sansera can be further developed for the Gripen fighter. The MoU with Dynamatic has the potential to further develop our ecosystem for commercial aerostructures as well as Gripen,” Lars Jensen, managing director and head of Saab Aerostructures, said.
The new MoUs announced today will enable Saab to work with these Indian companies to establish an indigenous, efficient, tailor-made manufacturing system that will develop, deliver and support state-of-the-art Gripen fighters in India for the Indian Air Force.
Dynamatic Technologies Limited designs and builds highly-engineered products for automotive, aeronautic, hydraulic and security applications at various locations in India and Europe. Dynamatic is firmly established as one of the leading private aerospace companies in India, with a wide range of capabilities, including complex structural assembly, detailed parts manufacturing and engineering services.
CIM Tools Private Limited is well-established as one of India’s leading aerospace manufacturing companies, providing components, detailed parts and sub-assemblies for aerospace primes worldwide. CIM Tools has experienced continuous business growth thanks to its dedicated owners and skilled workforce.
Sansera Engineering Limited has its roots in the automotive industry providing highly efficient manufacturing and engineering of forged and machined components to prime global automotive companies. In 2010, Sansera started production of aerospace components for leading companies in the aerospace sector.
