Posted on 09/17/2013 9:34:53 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
SAAB Group looks to Asia to develop new stealth fighter
To compete against various types of fifth generation fighters including China's J-31 and Japan's ATD-X Shinshin, the SAAB Group — a Swedish aerospace and defence company — has sought help from South Korea, Finland and Taiwan to develop its newest stealth fighter, the FS-2020, reports Global Times, a tabloid under the auspices of the Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily.
Designed as a stealth version of Sweden's JAS 39 Gripen multirole fighter, the FS-2020 project was first launched by the SAAB Group in 2005. While European powers like France and Germany invested most of their resources into the development of unmanned aerial vehicles, the ongoing FS-2020 project is currently the only one of its kind in the region.
The SAAB Group began to seek financial and technical support from various countries around the world following the 2008 global financial crisis. Insiders claim that the FS-2020 will be significantly cheaper to produce than the F-35, a fifth generation US fighter developed by Lockheed Martin, and was once touted in the running to be the next generation fighter for the Republic of China (Taiwan) Air Force, the paper said.
However, according to the Quadrennial Defense Review published by the Taiwan's defense ministry in March, Taiwan will not purchase the FS-2020 and will instead design its own stealth fighter based on the blueprints of the F-22 or F-35 provided by the United States. Insiders said due to the possibility that the Swedish government may submit to pressure from Beijing, the United States is still the only logical choice for Taiwan to seek advanced weapon systems.
Nice light stealthy jet.
If it weren’t so late it might have had a shot at that Korea bid.
There are two Korea bids-one for an off-the-shelf fighter, which the F-15SE has (apparently) won. The other is for developing an ‘indigenous’ fighter with foreign input. So this Swedish concept may still have a chance.
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