Saab Gripen-E vs Tejas Mk1A for Philippines - A Complex Decision Based on Cost, Performance, and Strategic Considerations

In the bidding for a fighter jet contract with the Philippines, the Saab Gripen-E is competing face-to-face with India's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A. The Tejas is a more affordable option, but the Gripen-E has better performance capabilities, making it a more complicated decision for the Philippines.

Compared to the Gripen-E, which costs $85 million, the Tejas Mk1A is a more affordable option, with a flyaway cost of about $43 million per unit. Given Philippine budgetary constraints, the Tejas is an appealing option due of its notable price differential.

On performance, however, the Gripen-E surpasses the Tejas. It has greater battle range, heavier weapons payload, and maybe more sophisticated sensors and avionics. Depending on the Philippines' unique operating needs and perceptions of threats, these variables may be vital.

There's probably more to the Philippines' choice than just the purchase price. The ultimate decision will also be heavily influenced by additional elements like life-cycle costs, chances for technology transfer, and future upgrade possibility.

India is actively pushing the Tejas Mk1A for export in an effort to become recognised as a trustworthy provider of domestic defence platforms. Getting a contract with the Philippines would be a big step forward for this effort.

The competition's result is still up in the air because both competitors have unique benefits and drawbacks. Before making a final decision, the Philippines will need to carefully consider its priorities and compare the Tejas' cost-effectiveness to the Gripen-E's improved performance.

 

[charminar_waale_ismail_bhai]

If HAL won the bidding, of the two Tejas Mk1A that would be rolling off HAL's assembly line each year, one would go to IAF and the second would go to Philippines's Air Force.

That would mean, along with IAF's order of 123 Aircrafts, HAL employees are all set for this century. Tejas Mk2 can be pushed to 22nd century, 2100 AD and beyond.

 

[Bharat007]

Offer Tejas with Brahmos NG. Phillipines is willing to buy it for Naval Strike roles as per some news articles. Equipments like AESA Radar will make it suitable option. Other than it, price factor also will play crucial role. Beyond these, Tejas doesn't have any chance against Grippen.

 

[Ramsses CDXX]

• When was the last time Tejas LCA crossed BoB simulated combat ferry and landed at INS Utkrosh❓ It goes to Dubai air show with 3×subsonic fuel tanks. To AShM missile kahan lagayega❓
• Being a frontline nation facing the PLAN & PLANAF bullying on a daily basis, buy only those jets that have proven AShM capabilities❗Tejas L-MRCA is NOT one of them. Gripen-E M-MRCA has integrated RBS-15.
• Preferably they should leverage EDCA and purchase F-16 Blk.70/F-18 Super Hornet. And may be they have a chance to pit against those J-11, Su-30, Su-27, Su-33,.....
• Phillipines also lacks MRA. So, aircrafts with longer endurance than Tejas is better❗

Could The Philippines Upgrade Its Air Force With Saab Gripens?

A report from the Singapore Airshow yesterday affirmed that the Philippines is close to entering negotiations to buy fighter jets from Sweden to bolster its defense.

www.forbes.com

 

[War is good for business]

Offer Tejas with Brahmos NG. Phillipines is willing to buy it for Naval Strike roles as per some news articles. Equipments like AESA Radar will make it suitable option. Other than it, price factor also will play crucial role. Beyond these, Tejas doesn't have any chance against Grippen.

Gripen E is in the category of Tejas mk 2 so the price is definitely cheaper as it is a less capable platform. But unless India can guarantee the Uttam radar, there would be no deal.

 

[beencensured]

Offer Tejas with Brahmos NG. Phillipines is willing to buy it for Naval Strike roles as per some news articles. Equipments like AESA Radar will make it suitable option. Other than it, price factor also will play crucial role. Beyond these, Tejas doesn't have any chance against Grippen.

India's Tejas mk1a has a greater content of indigenous maal then Gripen e. Further has lower rcs and higher level of composites. Gripen e has meteor long range bvr, and better radar and electronics payload and range, sensor fusion, but Tejas mk1a could catch up GaN Uttam radar and electronic warfare.

 

[Ranjeet Singh]

ADA+HAL upgrade Tejas-1A with enhanced GE-90-95 KN engine to attain Mac 2.25 speed, increase its combat radius and improved airframe to carry 4.50 ton of weapon load ! Doors will open for export if we do this !

 

[Baiju Bhaskaran]

First finish our orders.

 

[War is good for business]

That would mean, along with IAF's order of 123 Aircrafts, HAL employees are all set for this century. Tejas Mk2 can be pushed to 22nd century, 2100 AD and beyond.

I don't understand why people here find is odd that it is taking HAL three years from order in 2021 to start deliveries in 2024, which is quite decent internationally. Dr Banda Prakash was answered in Rajya Sabha that 29 of the 40 mk1 Tejas were delivered by the date of answer which was in 2018. Given that a 20 unit order was placed in 2006 and a further 20 units in 2010, it is quite prudent that they are maintaining a slow production to avoid end of production. Mass manufacturing and its associated benefits do not crop up at sub 50 units orders.

 

[NSR]

"If wishes were horses, beggars would ride"

Come into real world as none of your sales pitches bore fruits.

HAL, ADA, DRDO, etc, please do not waste your time and risk Indian security and defenses.
Maximize the production of Tejas Mk IA and fulfil the IAF contracts way before milestones, not way after the milestones.

And then ADA, DRDO, and HAL must work on all important Tejas Mk II on a warp speed basis.
This will be the fighter that would rule the skies over India and keep the enemy 120+ kms away from the borders, and 250+ kms away if India can mount a Astra Mk III on it.

 

[Sunnyj]

Philippines should go for F16 or Tejas(economical)as PLAAF has gamed against Thai AF Gripens with their Flankers and J10(C) besides with F16 would be easier to link up with USAF if needed.

 

[MANIVANNAN N]

GripenE better than tejasmk1a ?

 

[MANIVANNAN N]

Always inferior even after upgrade?

 

[Tanishq Bafila]

I don't understand why people here find is odd that it is taking HAL three years from order in 2021 to start deliveries in 2024, which is quite decent internationally.

Well as I told earlier , bina Puri knowledge k bak bak krna hota...

LM official has already told in a interview that At max they can produce 20 Engines / year and that even from 2026 only due to supply issues & the order size from india...

Yes , HAL is insufficient compared to mostly all private companies but Order number , production rate on contract & unwillingness of government to make policies & re-structure the work policy of DPSUs are those fields that no-one talks about...

Boeing is unable to deliver F-35s on time even when they are manufacturing those jets for years and have proper supply chain with private vendors in business since ages... Same thing with Boeing in delay of delivery of red Hawk Jet trainers...

 

[charminar_waale_ismail_bhai]

HAL three years from order in 2021 to start deliveries in 2024, which is quite decent internationally.

Decent? Really?
Since you mentioned delivery starts in 2024.
How many of the contracted 83 Tejas Mk1A jets can you confidently say HAL will deliver in 2024?

That said, numbers aside, go easy on fellow commentors here.

Its not like those who criticize HAL here want the Tejas project to fail. On the contrary, we are better aware of what ground reality has been and how HAL has never shied away from revealing its incompetence thanks to its sheer monopoly and lack of accountability.

A critic can always have, but a little fun. A harmless joke will not slow down HAL's delivery speed any further than what it already is.

Cheers!!

 

[charminar_waale_ismail_bhai]

LM official has already told in a interview that At max they can produce 20 Engines / year and that even from 2026

Well, there have been discussion on that thread about how HAL was incompetent to mess that up. When the Korean who use the same GE-F404 in FA/T-50 jets foe future orders do not have any such limitations w.r.t supply of the engines by GE.

Even considering 20 engines/year, there will be sufficient buffer to enable HAL produce 24 airframes per year by 2026 from the existing stock of GE-F404 they already have. So are you certain HAL will be delivering 20 jets per year by 2026?

Boeing is unable to deliver F-35s on time even when they are manufacturing those jets for years and have proper supply chain with private vendors in business since ages.

Tell them the numbers, Sonny.
How many F-35 has LM delivered till date?
How many are they manufacturing each year?

 

[War is good for business]

Decent? Really?
Since you mentioned delivery starts in 2024.
How many of the contracted 83 Tejas Mk1A jets can you confidently say HAL will deliver in 2024?

If you do not consider it decent, give some examples where a full supply chain for a new variant is created in less than two- three years. Let us have this conversation at the end of 2025-26 by the time we can clearly see if HAL is slowly ramping up production with significant orders or is HAL continuing at the same rate.

 

[Akshat]

I don't understand why people here find is odd that it is taking HAL three years from order in 2021 to start deliveries in 2024, which is quite decent internationally.

Three years? Bro, as per the signed contract, 18 trainers and 3 mk1a were to be delivered by 2Feb 2024. Only 1 or 2 (depending on the source, officially it’s 1) trainers have been delivered and mk1a is not even in taxi trials, which means at the very least it’s not coming for a few months. And they are only making 2 and will make the third once those 2 clear the certification. So the contract has been massively breached.

And coming to mk1. I don’t know which source you are reading that says 29 mk1 were delivered by 2018. Actual contract for FOC was signed in 2018, and FOC certification itself came in Feb 2019 at the Aero India. And the second squadron Flying bullets, first one to get FOC variants, was formed in May 2020. So no more than 20 mk1 planes were delivered by then.

Now coming to the production line excuse. Can you tell me a single point of time when HAL produced more planes than IAF accepted? IAF had always said that they will buy mk1a once mk1 production ended. In fact, 40 planes were to be delivered by 2021, as per the capacity of 8 planes per year. HAL didn’t deliver the planes but IAF still placed fresh orders. Not to mention, the cost for the production line etc. is anyways borne by IAF, plus profit. So if you promise something to IAF, it already includes the cost considerations and after that delays are not only immoral but illegal. Whether IAF orders 40 or 4 is immaterial.

 

[Akshat]

Let us have this conversation at the end of 2025-26 by the time we can clearly see if HAL is slowly ramping up production with significant orders or is HAL continuing at the same rate.

No need to wait. Contract has already been breached.

 

[ABHIJIT APSINGIKAR]

India's Tejas mk1a has a greater content of indigenous maal then Gripen e. Further has lower rcs and higher level of composites. Gripen e has meteor long range bvr, and better radar and electronics payload and range, sensor fusion, but Tejas mk1a could catch up GaN Uttam radar and electronic warfare.

Remind me again why does it even matter? Is that indigenous content the most technologically current system available on market? The answer to that is a categorical no. Our mission computers are at least a 3-4 generations behind the current semiconductor standard. Even when most of our mission computers make use of COST components. Moreover our datalink is slow and LCA has rudimentary sensor fusion and is well behind the world standard.

Nobody is going to give a medal for indigenous content. Its best DRDO understands it. They are paid to develop platform within a set time, which they fail every single time. Not even the missiles program, which was decently successful could meet project deadlines.