THE first South African-manufactured components of the high-tech Swedish jet fighter, the Gripen, have been handed to the aircraft’s builders at Uitenhage. Eastern Cape based precision engineering company COMAU-AIMS has been contracted to manufacture pylon systems which will house the fighter’s weapons external fuel tanks and other equipment. The Uitenhage link is a result of the Government’s offset programme in its recent massive arms purchase contracts. The Eastern Cape company will manufacture the pylons — a vital component in a jet fighter — for all future Swedish Gripen interceptors sold internationally. Delegates from SAAB in Sweden, BAE Systems in Britain and Denel in Johannesburg attended the ceremony. The design and development contract is for R42-million, which will be succeeded by a R240-million follow-on agreement.