The Future has Arrived – Gripen in South Africa

The Gripen team is once again very proud to be supporting Africa’s largest aerospace, defence, and security exhibition Africa Aerospace & Defence – AAD 2006 – which for the first time is being held in what many have called the world’s most beautiful city, Cape Town, from 20-25 September.

Air Force Base Ysterplaat, against the dramatic backdrop of Table Mountain, will provide the setting for the only exposition of its sort in Africa and the Gripen team will be one of more than 400 exhibitors from at least 25 countries.

For the government and people of South Africa, AAD 2006 represents an exciting and historic event as it will see the very first public appearance of South Africa’s Gripen new generation fighter, SA01. Since its transfer from Sweden to South Africa in July this year, SA01 has been based at the South Africa Air Force’s (SAAF) Test & Flight Development Centre at AFB Overberg, near Bredasdorp in the Southern Cape, where it has commenced its 18 month flight test programme, designed to integrate South African customer-specific systems and equipment prior to customer delivery in early 2008.

To commemorate AAD 2006 however, Saab and the South African customer have agreed to release SA01 from its intensive flight test programme, so that it can appear at the show and give the public its first glimpse of its new future fighter. As SA01 is at the early stages of its flight test programme, its flying appearances will be restricted to its current flight clearances, however it is scheduled to fly on Press Day, the opening day of the show and the two public days. In addition SA01, together with its South African and Swedish pilots, will be on static display throughout the show.

In addition to this, and for the first time at AAD, the Gripen team will be demonstrating its Full-Scale Replica (FSR) of the Gripen fighter. This FSR, which is a feature at the world’s largest air shows, enables VIP’s, pilots, ground crew, the media and the general public to get a first-hand feel of what it’s like to up close and personal with the Gripen fighter. All visitors can experience what it will be like for South Africa’s future fighter pilots to sit in the cockpit of Gripen and to talk to the pilots who fly it……something not to miss!

Also to commemorate AAD 2006, the Gripen team has produced a brand new range of South Africa-specific publicity material, including videos, photographs of SA01 flying in and around the Cape, brochures, fact sheets, posters, stickers and other exciting items, all designed to celebrate the arrival of South Africa’s first Gripen fighter. As always, the friendly Gripen air show team of experts will on hand to answer any questions you may have.

It’s sure to be an event not to miss, and we look forward to seeing you at the show!