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FIGHTER JETS

Defence deal greenlights fighter jet upgrade

Swedish defence company Saab has struck a 47 billion kronor ($7.4 billion) deal with the country's air force to develop the Jas Gripen E fighter jet, the same model marketed to Switzerland.

Published: 15 February 2013 07:38 CET
Defence deal greenlights fighter jet upgrade

“This is an historic event for Saab,” CEO Håkan Buskhe said in a statement.

“We’re taking the next step, which also greatly increases our export potential for many years to come.”

The agreement covers the period 2013-2026, but leaves the door open to terminate parts of the contract if the Swedish military’s equipment wing (Försvarets materielverk, FMV) chooses to.

FMV has placed an initial order worth 2.5 billion kronor, reported the TT news agency. Several further orders are likely in 2013 and 2014.

If any terminations take place, Saab will have the right to certain compensatory payments.

In Sweden, Saab will modify about 60 existing Gripen C planes to convert them to be closer to the new E model.

“Our existing customers who operate the Gripen C or D will be able to benefit from the development work,” Buskhe said.

Switzerland is still pondering its would-be purchase of 22 Gripen E fighter planes.

TT/The Local/at

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DEFENCE

France recruits 1,800 extra staff to cyber warfare unit

The French defence ministry on Wednesday announced plans to significantly boost the country's four-year-old cyber warfare force, citing the "growing number and gravity" of hacking attacks on the country.

Published: 9 September 2021 08:23 CEST
France recruits 1,800 extra staff to cyber warfare unit
French defence minister Florence Parly. Photo: Alain Jocard/AFP

The government had already planned to add an additional 1,100 recruits to a unit created in response to the growing number of cyber attacks on the West, mostly blamed on Russia and China.

Defence Minister Florence Parly told a cyber security conference in the city of Lille on Wednesday she had decided to go further to try make France “a cyber security champion”.

Warning of a “Cold War in cyberspace” she said she would hire an extra 770 cyber combattants on top of an additional 1,100 already planned, bringing the force’s staffing level to 5,000 by 2025.

France and other Western countries are alarmed over a growing number of increasingly aggressive cyber attacks, including data breaches and ransomware attacks, which typically see hackers encrypting victims’ data and then demanding money for restored access.

Recent high-profile targets have included a US oil pipeline, Ireland’s health service and India’s flag carrier Air India.

Parly said that the French army needed to increase it use of the “cyber weapon”.

“Our opponents do not shy away from doing so, whether state powers, terrorist groups or their backers,” she said.

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