Saab JAS-39 Gripen
A two-seat Gripen
Description
Role	Multi-role combat aircraft
Crew	1 or 2
First Flight	1989
Entered Service	1996
Manufacturer	Saab-Scania
Dimensions
Length	14.1 m
Wingspan	8.4 m
Height	4.5 m
Wing area	274,9 ft²	25.54 m²
Weights
Empty	6620 kg
Loaded	8720 kg
Maximum takeoff	14000 kg
Powerplant
Engines	One Volvo Aero RM12 afterburning turbofan
Thrust	54 dry, 80 kN afterburn
Performance
Maximum speed	Mach 2 at altitude
Combat range (max load)	500 miles	800 km
Ferry range (min load)	miles	km
Service ceiling	50,000 ft	15,000 m
Rate of climb	ft/min	m/min
Thrust/weight	6.2 N/kg
Avionics
Avionics
Armament
Armament	27 mm Mauser BK-27 cannon 6 AIM-9 Sidewinder, 4 AIM-120 AMRAAM; or MICA Air-to-ground weapons include: AGM-65 Maverick, KEPD 150 , Various laser guided bombs, rocket pods , etc. Air-to-sea weapons include: Rb15F It will be the first fighter to test the new MBDA Meteor missile system

The Saab JAS-39 "Gripen" (Griffin) is a fighter aircraft, from Sweden manufactured by Saab . The fighters are sold by the Gripen International corporation, a joint venture between Saab and BAE Systems.

Gripen is designed for the high demands put on flying performance, flexibility, effectiveness, survivability and availability the future air combat environment will put. The designation JAS stands for Jakt (Fighter), Attack (Attack) and Spaning (Reconnaissance) and means every Gripen can fulfill all three mission types.

Flying properties and performance are optimised for fighter missions with high demands on speed, acceleration and turning performance. The combination of delta wing and canards gives the JAS 39 Gripen very good take off and landing performance and superb flying characteristics. The totally integrated avionics makes it a "programmable" aircraft. With the built in flexibility and development potential the whole JAS 39 Gripen system will retain and enhance its effectiveness and potential well into the 21st century.

Gripen affords far more flexibility than earlier generations of combat aircraft, and its operating costs will only be about two thirds of those for Viggen, in spite of it being able to in all areas perform at least as well or slightly better, and in some cases much better. This while not being an expensive aircraft to purchase either.

The specification for the Gripen says that must be able to operate from 800 m runways, so actual take off and landing distance is significantly less, and since early on in the programme, all flights from Saab's facility in Linköping are flown from within a 9 m x 800 m outline painted on the runway. Stopping distance is reduced by extending the relatively large airbrakes; using the control surfaces to push the aircraft down enabling the brakes to be used harder; tilting the canards forwards, making them into large airbrakes and also pushing the nose gear — which also has brakes — down.

Several layouts were studied, in the end an unstable canard layout was adopted, as it would give the greatest benefits to performance, because it gives a high onset of pitch rate and low drag enabling the aircraft to be faster, have longer range, and carry a larger useful payload.

Already in operational service with the Swedish Air Force which has ordered 204 aircraft (including 28 dual-seater), the Gripen has also been ordered by the South African Air Force (28 aircraft). Hungary and the Czech Republic have each ordered 14 Gripens.

The aircraft cost US$25 million in 1998.

External links

• Saab Gripen - Official site
• Saab Gripen links - dmoz

See also

• Comparison of 2000s fighter aircraft
• List of military aircraft of Sweden