SAAF maintaining IRIS-T

 

23 May 2011  by defenceWeb

The South African Air Force is keeping up maintaining its small arsenal of Diehl BGT Defence IRIS-T short-range air-to-air missile (SRAAM) acquired for the SAAB Gripen advanced light fighter aircraft after May 2008. It last week awarded Diehl BGT Defence a R31 950 order for the “purging of missiles” and the rental of gas filling equipment, taking known expenditure on the interim fifth generation SRAAM to R102 447 633.45.

The infra-red guided IRIS-T was acquired as an interim weapon for Gripen of which the SAAF now have nine two-seat examples and nine single-seaters – including one still in Sweden. The fleet will stand at 26 by next year, a year before the first Denel Dynamics A-Darter 5th generation SRAAM is delivered to the SAAF. The IRIS-T (Infra Red Imaging System Tail/Thrust Vector-Controlled) missiles were delivered in late 2009 and debuted aboard the Gripen at a parade in January last year to mark the 90th birthday of the SAAF. The wikipedia claims the modern missile costs about €400 000 each.

Chief of the Air Force (CAF) Lt Gen Carlo Gagiano in 2009 said the SAAF was contemplating a beyond visual range AAM (BVRAAM) for Gripen, but added that high integration costs and a tight budget this would likely mean the choice of a weapon already integrated by the original equipment manufacturer. Denel Dynamics, the state arsenal business unit developing the A-Darter with Brazil under a billion rand programme dubbed Project Assegaai, had hoped to develop a local radar-guided BVRAAM for Gripen, provisionally called the T-Darter. SAAB is currently integrating the MBDA Meteor BVRAAM onto the Gripen for the Swedish Air Force.

Purging of missile and rental of gas filling equipment forthe Iris-T systems - extension of ETMG/2007/423

– TMG/S2010/0121 18 Nov 2010 R42 600,00 Diehl BGT Defence

– TMG/S2010/0125 19 May 2011 R31 950,00 Diehl BGT Defence

Procurement of an interim short range Air-to-Air missile - extension of ETMG/2007/423

– UKZ/S2009/0110 22 Apr 2010 R601 192,50 Diehl BGT Defence

Interim fifth generation short range air-to-air missile for the RSA Gripen

– ETMG/2007/423 29 May 2008 R101 801 890,95 Diehl BGT Defence