Saab, British aerospace and the JAS 39 Gripen aircraft joint venture

Abstract

While most combat aircraft used by the Royal Swedish Air Force (RSAF) were designed and manufactured in Sweden and, with the exception of surplus aircraft, only delivered to the RSAF, the JAS 39 Gripen multi‐role aircraft is different. Gripen aircraft being delivered to the RSAF are partly manufactured by British Aerospace (BAe), and Saab and BAe are, ‘arm in arm’, marketing it abroad. This article describes the background of as well as the Saab‐BAe Gripen joint venture as such, and raises a few issues involved in Europe's ‘globalization’ of national military‐industrial activities. By joining up with BAe, Saab has joined one of the major aerospace companies in Europe. It seems likely that the Saab‐BAe joint venture is Sweden's exit from indigenous combat aircraft designs, and the entrance to European multinational projects in the future. BAe's role in Europe's aircraft and missile industrial restructuring is likely to decide Sweden's place and role. The joint venture as such, and the problems involved in reaching a united, binding and in its implementation restrictive European export Code of Conduct, suggests that the Gripen will be exported according to the common export interests in Britain and Sweden.