Advanced cooling system for Saab aircraft

Microtecnica has been awarded a contract worth in excess of €20m (£17m) to design and supply a cooling system for Saab’s next-generation Gripen NG aircraft.

Microtecnica will develop a Secondary Environmental Control System (SECS) in order to provide additional cooling capacity to support the requirements of the aircraft’s new avionics system.

Gripen NG will have an increased range and payload capability, complete with new avionics, new engine, plus enhanced communication and electronic warfare capability.

Designed and manufactured by Microtecnica, the advanced cooling control system will use energy-saving technology that exploits the bleed air originating from the aircraft engine.

Using computer-controlled valves, the system will optimise its energy efficiency by accurately matching the extracted bleed flow from the engine to the actual system requirements.

Microtecnica is currently at the design phase of the project, which involves qualification and requirement testing.