Saab Selects AEL As New Supplier For Brazilian Gripen NG Head Displays

Saab announced today that it has selected AEL Sistemas (AEL) as a new supplier for the Gripen NG in Brazil. A technology transfer contract has also been signed by both the companies.

AEL will provide the wide area display (WAD) and the head-up display (HUD), which will be integrated in the Gripen NG for Brazil as part of the F-X2 contract. The WAD and HUD development program commenced in January 2015.

The new avionics systems program will run over four years and includes development, integration and production work to be performed in Porto Alegre. System integration work will be undertaken by Saab and Embraer.

The WAD for Brazil’s Gripen NG aircraft is a single intelligent and full-redundant multi-purpose display system, full-color, large-screen (19 x 8 in) with continuous image presentation and the state-of-the-art touch-screen controls capability. It is the primary source of all flight and mission information in the cockpit.

AEL will also develop a new HUD for Brazil’s Gripen NG aircraft. The HUD provides essential flight and mission information to the pilot when looking ‘heads up’ out of the cockpit.

“Incorporating these advanced products from AEL into Brazil’s Gripen NG further enhances the aircraft,” Ulf Nilsson, head of Saab business area Aeronautics said.

“We are proud of the opportunity to take part in the development process of Gripen NG and to be able to introduce the latest displays, computer and software technologies into a next generation fighter,” says Sérgio Horta, President AEL.

An extensive flight test campaign will be conducted in close co-operation with AEL at Saab’s site in Linköping, Sweden, to demonstrate and validate the new equipment.

The transfer of technology contract with AEL will focus on further development of the human machine interface (HMI) for advanced fighters, along with workshops for avionics maintenance. Activity under this contract will commence in the second half of 2015 at Saab in Linköping and will include theoretical courses and on-the-job-training.