Saab awarded Gripen development funding

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, July 2 (UPI) -- The Swedish Defense Material Administration has contracted Saab to continue development of the Gripen fighter aircraft system in line with a long-term plan.

Swedish company Saab was awarded the contract as part of an effort to cover the Gripen development and upgrades in Sweden, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Thailand.

Under the approximately $46.1 million deal, Saab will continue Gripen system upgrade and development work at its Jarfalla and Kista facilities near Stockholm and at its Linkoping site in the south of the country.

According to a news release, the development is "based on lessons that have been learned, for example, from use within squadrons and from participation in international exercises."