Saab delivers T-7A aft for the flight test programme
Saab has shipped its second aft airframe section, which is for use in the T-7A Red Hawk flight test programme. The production and shipment of this aft airframe section is the latest milestone in Saab’s contribution to the design and development of the T-7A Red Hawk trainer for the United States Air Force. The shipment was from Saab’s Linköping site in Sweden to Boeing in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. On completion of the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) production phase, Saab’s brand new facility in West Lafayette, Indiana, USA will undertake Saab’s production of the aft airframe sections for the T-7A programme.
Boeing will splice together Saab’s aft section with the front section, wings, fins and tail assembly to become a complete test aircraft for use in the EMD’s flight test programme. The aft section with installed subsystems - hydraulics, fuel and secondary power system - forms the center structure of the aircraft from behind the cockpit to the end of the aircraft. In April 2021, Saab delivered its first T-7A Red Hawk aft airframe section for assembly as a ground-based structural testing aircraft. Upon arrival at Boeing in St. Louis, Saab’s aft section was joined perfectly with the front fuselage in less than 30 minutes. That achievement is a “testament to the use of digital design and engineering, which delivers accuracy, efficiency and improved quality throughout the design and delivery of T-7A Red Hawk”. T-7A Red Hawk is an all-new, advanced pilot training system designed for the US Air Force to train the next generation of combat pilots for decades to come. The aircraft has benefited from Saab and Boeing’s “breaking the norm” approach to military aircraft design, engineering and production, which saw the preceding T-X aircraft go from concept to first flight in just 36 months.
Carl-Gustaf ammo for the US
Saab has received an order for Carl-Gustaf ammunition from the US Army. The order value is approximately USD 75 million and deliveries will take place in 2022. The shoulder-fired ammunition order was placed within an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) framework agreement signed in 2019 between Saab and the US Army that allows the customer to place orders for Carl-Gustaf ammunition and the disposable AT4 shoulder-fired weapon systems during a five-year period. This order for the US Army and Marine Corps is comprised of seven different types of ammunition including anti-armour, anti-structure, smoke, and illumination rounds, all underlining the versatility of the multi-purpose Carl-Gustaf system.
Further order for the A26 submarine for Sweden
Saab has received a further order from the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV) to continue the development and production, as well as expand the capabilities, of the two A26 Blekinge class submarines previously ordered by Sweden. The order value is SEK 5.2 billion and the delivery of the two submarines will take place in 2027 and 2028. In June 2015, Sweden ordered the new A26 Blekinge class submarine, which is tailor-made for Swedish conditions. The capability to construct and build submarines places Sweden among the few countries in the world with the ability to develop advanced submarines.