Aero Signs Contract with Saab on Gripen Pylon Production

Saab has placed an order with AERO Vodochody for the production of NATO pylons for the Gripen aircraft system. Transfer of production will commence at the Aero facilities at Vodochody in the Czech Republic in autumn this year.>> Saab has also recently signed a joint working agreement with Aero establishing a mutual cooperation concerning marketing and sales of the L-159 Combat and Training System. The agreement was also to identify manufacturing work packages (MWP) between Saab and Aero.>> "We highly value the continuation of cooperation with Saab, recently confirmed within our military program by support of the L-159 Programme and today joining the Gripen project. Our aim is to gradually strengthen our position on the aerostructures market, reaching interesting orders, both in military and civil aviation technology. We are extremely pleased to receive this order from Saab, extending our portfolio of customers within our aerostructures program," says Igor Hulak, President of Aero.>> Aero Vodochody is an important partner for our Gripen offset programme in the Czech Republic. This order for production of NATO pylons demonstrates the close collaboration we have with Aero Vodochody. We are very pleased with our cooperation, says Gripen Program Director for the Czech Republic, Bengt Littke.>>> AERO Vodochody a.s. focuses on development, production, sales and support of aircraft and aerostructures in both civil and military aviation technology. The Company follows the tradition of Aero - Aircraft Factory (1919), ranking among the oldest aviation producers in the world. Aero has well-established cooperation with leading aerospace manufacturers - Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (S-76C helicopter), Alenia Aeronautica (C-27J Spartan center wing box), Latecoere (Embraer 170/190 door subassemblies), Boeing Company (F/A-18 gun bay door), etc. Aero is currently the largest aviation technology producer in the Czech Republic and historically the largest producer of jet training aircraft in the world.