Saab has created a new website especially focusing on its campaign to win the 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Actually it’s more of a branch of the Saab Group website, so no snappy gripenforindia-type domain name. But they’ve done a good job constructing it, in time for Indian Defense Ministry mandarins to have something to consult, if the IAF’s report on the flight and weapons trials of the six competing aircraft doesn’t suffice.

Besides the usual calendar, news release section and an image and video library, they’ve got three slick drop-down radio buttons on the right. What’s cool about the first of these is, it’s their contacts section. So? They’ve listed the Swedish and Indian mobile numbers of Gripen officials running this campaign. Since no section of the website is restricted, one assumes, these officials are ready to solicit questions, comments and advice from the public. This could be good, if Edvard, Joanna and Anne don’t put their phones on silent. Text ‘em, by all means.

The other two buttons are mandatory bells and whistles for sharing stuff by email or via social networking and to receive alerts for new stuff on the website.

Be nice if they had more suped-up graphic content, maybe get some interactive fun going. Right now, there’s a bit too much text. That video they have going down right is nice, but maybe they could position it more prominently. And add more. Could use a lot more photos in the library too. Right now they have four. Clearly not in the spirit of The Pirate Bay. I have half a mind to call and complain.

In what is the clearest indication of the likely US attitude towards the supply of systems and technology to the Swedish Gripen, were it to win the Indian MMRCA (Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft) race, the US has agreed to the fitting of Royal Thai Air Force Gripen aircraft with its weapons systems. These include the AIM-9M and AIM-120 C-5 air-to-air rocket system, precision bombs and AGM-66 Maverick air-to-ground tactical missile.

A controversy over whether the US would be willing to supply components and systems for the Gripen aircraft under its end use monitoring and technology transfer laws had apparently placed questions on the strength of the Swedish pitch earlier this year. Competitors in the race had questioned its ability to easily deliver parts and systems that were claimed to be substantially US-built.

But with the US now agreeing to supply systems to Thai Gripens, senior Indian officials think it would be difficult for the US to deny systems to any ‘Indian’ Gripens, after agreeing to supply them to Thailand. “They would find it difficult to say no to us, if they’re providing systems for the Thai. Especially after all the fuss we went through over the End Use Agreement,” says one senior official.

Saab for now has little to say, with Anne Lewis-Olsson, Communications Director, India restricting her comments to, “Saab is glad to see the Thai air force has selected US weapons apart from the Swedish RBS-15.”