Saab JAS 39 Gripen

Sweden's homegrown lightweight multirole fighter — a single-engine, canard-delta design purpose-built for dispersed road-base operations, low operating cost, and swift turnarounds, now serving across two major generations in multiple air forces.

Overview

The Saab JAS 39 Gripen (“Griffin”) is a single-engine, canard-delta multirole fighter developed by Saab AB in Linköping. Conceived to replace the Viggen with a smaller, more affordable airframe that could operate from dispersed highway strips, the Gripen entered service in 1996 and has since evolved through the 4th-generation C/D standard into the substantially re-engined, AESA-equipped 4.5-generation Gripen E/F. Seven air arms currently fly the type, with Ukraine slated to become its first combat operator in the late 2020s.

Development

Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration initiated the JAS (Jakt, Attack, Spaning — fighter, attack, reconnaissance) programme in the late 1970s, seeking a single platform to replace the Draken and Viggen fleets. The first prototype flew on 9 December 1988, and the initial operational Gripen A reached the Swedish Air Force in 1996, according to a timeline compiled by Wikipedia. A thorough redesign produced the NATO-interoperable C/D variant, which added in-flight refuelling, a full-colour cockpit, and an upgraded PS-05/A radar; deliveries of the C/D began around 2003 Saab Gripen C-series. The next-generation Gripen E (single-seat) and F (twin-seat) embarked on a separate development track, flying for the first time in 2017 and entering service with Sweden in 2019, powered by a GE F414G engine and built around the Raven ES-05 AESA radar Saab Gripen E-series.

🔒 The rest of the Saab JAS 39 Gripen file is for BattlePolicy Pro members. Stop here and you miss the part that actually matters: how it performs and where it falls short, its combat record, how it stacks up head-to-head against its real counterparts, the complete specifications table, and our analysts’ procurement, supplier and assessment notes. Unlock the full file with BattlePolicy Pro →