First flights and systems integration
The SAAF’s first Gripen, a two-seater version, performed its maiden flight at Saab’s facilities at Linkoping, Sweden, on 14 November 2005 with Saab test pilot, Magnus Olsson and his South African counterpart, Charl Coetzee, at the controls. The flight lasted 1hr 10 min. By the end of April 2008 the two-seater arrived in South Africa followed by two additional aircraft a year later. During the second half of 2008, Gripen Pilot Instructor and Technical training began, with support from Saab.
The first single-seater South African Gripen made its flight debut on 11 June 2009. Saab test pilot Richard Ljungberg piloted the aircraft, which took off from Linköping at 13.00 and touched down safely at 14.03 in the afternoon.
Integrating local avionics and weapons
Prior to delivery of the first operational Gripen aircraft, a combined Swedish-South African Gripen Flight Test Centre (GFTC) subjected the aircraft to a rigorous flight test regime, which was undertaken at South Africa’s Test Flight Development Centre at AFB Overberg in the Western Cape. Its purpose was to integrate local avionics and weapon systems into the aircraft.