What if more Viggens were exported

[GTX]

Hi folks,

Time for another exported whiff... this time with the SAAB Viggen.  Some of the countries where the Viggen was marketed/rumoured to be contending included:

Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark and Norway - SAAB's contender for what was known as the "the weapons deal of the century" (eventually won by the F-16) was the SAAB 37E Eurofighter.

India - In 1978 SAAB got an offer from India. A total of 170 aircrafts were in this deal. But in October of 1978 India announced that they chosed the Jaguar as their new fighter aircraft.

Austria - Austria was interested in the 37X (an export version). It had similar design as the 37E Eurofighter. But the price on these were much too high and they bought used J35D indtead.

Australia - contender against the F/A-18;

Japan.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?  I for one am considering a naval Viggen (the Swedish carrier style landings should lend itself to carrier operations with minor modifications).  Any suggestions for a user - I am considering either the RAN, the RN or maybe Italy.

Feel free to add your own suggestions/profiles etc.

Regards,

Greg

[Hobbes]

Do you have more info on the 37E?  

[PolluxDeltaSeven]

Swiss!!! Instead of the Hornet...

Indeed, the Swiss and Swedish both use aircrafts able to operate from roads and highways in case of war!

Due to its STOL abilities, the Viggen is much more adapted to this configuration than the Hornet...


And if a navalised variant was developped for someone (Sweden, UK, Italy, Australia, whatever...) it could be possible to have some French Navy Sea Viggen, as a low cost alternative to replace the old Crusaders and maybe Etendard IV in the 1970s... (low cost here means lower than developping our own Mirage F1 naval for example)

[Swedish Mick]

Do you have more info on the 37E?

The 37E Eurofighter was proposed in 1975 as an export version of JA 37 Viggen, as a replacement to NATO's Starfighters. It has no connection with the later Eurofighter aircraft.
In 1997, ten Sk 37 Viggen were upgraded to Sk 37E Viggen EW aircrafts.

http://www.scramble.nl/wiki/images/thumb/a...006_%281%29.jpg

http://www.scramble.nl/wiki/index.php?titl...b_AB_J37_Viggen
http://www.vectorsite.net/avvig.html

[GTX]

It has no connection with the later Eurofighter aircraft.

I never said that it was linked to the Eurofighter Typhoon.  It was however (I believe) referred to as the Eurofighter - probably more of a marketing ploy than anything else.

Regards,

Greg

[Son of Damian]

Does anyone have any other suggestions? I for one am considering a naval Viggen (the Swedish carrier style landings should lend itself to carrier operations with minor modifications). Any suggestions for a user - I am considering either the RAN, the RN or maybe Italy.

USN - a cool strike fighter in place of the SLUFF (A-7 Corsair II)

RCN - always cool

Sentinel Chicken did some Viggen profiles a ways back, The Neutrality Viggens & Scandanavian Viggens

[Swedish Mick]

It has no connection with the later Eurofighter aircraft.

I never said that it was linked to the Eurofighter Typhoon.  It was however (I believe) referred to as the Eurofighter - probably more of a marketing ploy than anything else.
Regards,
Greg

Sorry if it seemed as that, I never thought you did. :dum:  
I agree with you, I also think it was more of a marketing name when trying to sell Viggens to those European NATO countries.  

[Swedish Mick]

Sentinel Chicken did some Viggen profiles a ways back, The Neutrality Viggens & Scandanavian Viggens

Yes, and personally I like the Swiss and the Danish ones best. Really nice!
But how about a Finnish Viggen in blue-white-grey splinter camo?
The Viggen aircrafts are designed for having a real colourful camo, aren't they?!
A grey low-viz Viggen isn't the same.

[BlackOps]

[MAD]

What about the Viggen in Royal Australian Air Force colours?

With its short and rough field capability being used from remote airfields in Northern Australia?

I think that the RAAF was shy of looking at the Viggen seriously, due to the experience the Australian's had during the Vietnam War, when the Swedish threatened to stop the supply of 84mm Garl Gustaf`s and their ammo.

Pity, for I think the Viggen was a well conceived and built aircraft

M.A.D

[Lawman]

The obvious one would be the UK, possibly reengined, in place of the Jaguar and Tornado. This would potentially open up export possibilities (no fears of lack of Swedish support if the UK can provide it instead), to Australia, Canada etc... A UK order in place of the Jaguar and Tornado F-3/GR-1 could have been substantial - ~200 in place of Jaguars, ~200 in place of the Tornado F.3s and ~200 in place of the Tornado GR.1s!  

[BlackOps]

[BlackOps]

[GTX]

Sorry if it seemed as that, I never thought you did

Oh, ok - I'm sorry too.   .  As far as I've been able to find, the 37E Eurofighter was much the same as the standard Viggen of the time.  I'm sure there were other mods but I haven't been able to find any details, have you?

Regards,

Greg

[GTX]

With its short and rough field capability being used from remote airfields in Northern Australia?

I think that the RAAF was shy of looking at the Viggen seriously, due to the experience the Australian's had during the Vietnam War, when the Swedish threatened to stop the supply of 84mm Garl Gustaf`s and their ammo.

I don't think the short field capability of the Viggen was ever a consideration with the RAAF - the 'Bare Bases' (RAAF Sherger, Learmonth and Curtin) all have substantial runways.  Mind you, having a Viggen operate off a dirt strip somewhere in the outback would be cool to see (maybe in the cool caribou orange style paint scheme - hint, hint   ), though it would probably need some mods to protect from dust/stones.

I understand the main reason why the Viggen was excluded was to do with it's percieved lack of range, though I may be wrong here.

Regards,

Greg