Saab Carries Out IRIS-T Flight Test Trials For Sweden

First flight tests with the air-to-air missile IRIS-T, November 2006. Credit: Jonas Tillgren, copyright Saab AB.

by Staff Writers
Arlington VA (SPX) Nov 08, 2006
Saab has successfully carried out the first flight tests with the air-to-air missile IRIS-T to verify the function between the missile and the Gripen aircraft. IRIS-T enhances Gripen's close combat capability, which is an important component for Gripen during future international operations.

"The trials are an important milestone in the Gripen program. IRIS-T is a European collaboration and development project within the missile area, where Saab has a leading role for the integration of complex future missile systems", says Henrik Hojer, responsible for the Gripen program within Saab Aerosystems.

The IRIS-T is an air-to-air missile used by new generation fighters during aerial combat and will replace the American Sidewinder in the near future.

The development of IRIS-T is being undertaken as an international industrial project with the participation of Germany, Greece, Italy, Sweden, Norway and Spain. The IRIS-T missile will be introduced as standard weapon system for close-in combat and self-defence of modern fighter aircraft in the air forces of the world. A total of over 4000 IRIS-T missiles will be produced over the coming years.

"The IRIS-T missile and Gripen worked as expected and we are pleased with the flight test results", says Joacim Eriksson, Project Manager for the integration of IRIS-T at Saab Aerosystems.

At the end of 2005, FMV, The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, ordered the integration of the missile on Gripen. Missile flight trials, amongst other things, are included in the integration work. The work started at beginning of the year and will continue to 2009.

Besides the IRIS-T programme Saab is also heavily involved in the Meteor Missile Program, which also is an international cooperation involving leading aerospace companies in Europe.

MISSILE NEWS

Iran Test-Fires More New Weapons In War Games

Tehran (AFP) Nov 4, 2006
Iran on Saturday announced it had successfully test-fired new armour-piercing weaponry and an anti-helicopter missile system on the third day of its latest war games. "The new generation of anti-helicopter and anti-armour weapons were successfully tested on day three of the manoeuvres," an announcer on state television said as pictures of the test-firing were broadcast.

SUPERPOWERS Bush Says China Saving Too Much Money China The Anti-Superpower Or The Second Hyperpower China Wants Closer Defense Ties With SE Asia US Asks China To Be Open With Military Ties With Southeast Asia	NUKEWARS Security Council Formally Takes Up Iran Sanctions Draft US And South Korea Will Not Recognise NKorea As Nuclear-Armed State North Korea Not To Hold Talks As Nuclear Power Says Japan Abe Downplays Feud On Japanese Nuclear Weaponization Option
MISSILE NEWS Saab Carries Out IRIS-T Flight Test Trials For Sweden Iran Test-Fires More New Weapons In War Games Iran To Fire Ballistic Missiles In War Games North Korea Launched Five Missiles	MISSILE DEFENSE Aegis Open Architecture Using Joint Single Integrated Air Picture Product Phalanx Has A Future ThalesRaytheonSystems Battle Control System Declared Operational in Alaska, Hawaii And Canada Lockheed Martin Delivers Key Payload Hardware For Second Missile Warning Satellite
AEROSPACE Silent Aircraft Readies For Take-Off Global Aviation Industry Gathers For Key Chinese Air Show China Marks 50th Anniversary Of Aerospace Industry German-Chinese Aviation Opens New Horizons For Cooperation	UAV NEWS Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron Continues Surveillance In Iraq Unmanned Aircraft Trial Successfully Completed Raytheon Gets FAA Experimental Certificate for Cobra Unmanned Aircraft System GA-ASI And CBP Deploy Second UAS Along Southwest Border
IRAQ WARS US Losses Rise Again In Iraq Iraq Disaster Warning Saddam Sentence Makes History Despite Call, Rumsfeld Will Stay	MILTECH Lockheed Martin Awarded US Army Contract To Provide Improved Signal-Location Systems Iran Tests New Automatic Cannons In War Games Smiths Detection To Develop Portable Next-Gen Radiation Detectors General Dynamics Licenses Thor Ordnance Neutralization System

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement