BENGALURU: A city-based student pilot, Abhay Ashvin, will visit Linkoping in Sweden, home of the Gripen fighter jet manufactured by Saab. The opportunity to get up-close with one of the world’s advanced fighter jet programmes was offered to Ashvin, the winner of the Gripen Warrior contest.
On Saturday, during the Aero India show, five ‘Gripen Warrior’ finalists took their seats in the Gripen flight simulator and 24-year-old Ashvin, a student pilot at the Government Flying Training School, Bengaluru, emerged victorious. His success was the culmination of a month-long contest hosted by Saab for all Indian combat aircraft enthusiasts.
“The Gripen Warrior challenge involved an online test of aviation knowledge and flight simulation of the Gripen fighter. The contest drew nearly 2,000 participants across 27 states,” a statement from Saab said.
“We’re excited to engage with the defence enthusiasts of India and give one of them the chance to live a life-long dream; getting up close to the world’s best fighter aircraft,” says Ola Rignell, Chairman and Managing Director of Saab India Technology Pvt Ltd in a statement.
Mats Palmberg, Vice President, Industrial Partnerships, Saab, said the competition was a great way for India to see and understand the complex technologies that make “defence and security solutions by Saab so uncompromising and effective.”