SAAB to form JV with HAL for airborne e-warfare system

SAAB, the Swedish defence aircraft manufacturer, is planning to float a joint venture company with Hindustan aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to jointly manufacture airborne electronic warfare system.

Presently, electronic warfare system is used in HAL’s advanced light helicopter-Dhruv that is supplied from SAAB and this arrangement will enable the country to export these high tech equipment to other nations.

“Both SAAB and HAL have received board approval for this proposed joint venture arrangement and we are working on the nuances of the deal now,” Inderjit Sial, country head of Saab International India Ab said. He ,however, declined to give any time frame for this arrangement.

 

The proposed JV will manufacture electronic warfare system for HAL’s advanced light helicopter along with its export to other countries.

“We will hold a minority stake of 26 per cent as per present foreign investment regulations,” he added.

He also informed media persons that SAAB would close down its manufacturing unit in South Africa and move it to India after this arrangement.

SAAB is a Swedish company that manufactures defence aircraft, Gripen. It also works in various verticals like weapon system, battle field management system, maritime security aircraft among others.

Currently, the company is competing with global manufacturers like Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet, Dassault’s Rafale, Lockheed Martin Corp’s F- 16 and Russia’s MiG-35 to win a contract from India for 126 fighter jets worth $11 billion. “We are optimistic about the current defence deal as we think that Gripen fits into the requirement of Indian Airforce,” Hakan Bushke, president and chief executive officer of SAAB said.

The company will also set up a research and development centre in India soon, he added.

“We plan to open a research and development centre in India soon as it will boost our presence in India,” Bushke said.

The company will add 300 engineers over five years in its R&D unit in the country, he added. SAAB, however, is looking to open the new R&D centre in different locations of the country. “We are responding to a request for proposal (RFP) for air defence missile system and are planning to submit request for information (RFIs) for battle field management system and short-range surface to air missile system,” Inderjit Sial, country head of Saab International India Ab said.