The Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a light single-engine multirole fighter aircraft manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. The Gripen has a delta wing and canard configuration with relaxed stability design and fly-by-wire flight controls. It is powered by the Volvo RM12, and has a top speed of Mach 2. Later aircraft are modified for NATO interoperability standards and to undertake air to air refuelling.
In 1979, the Swedish government began development studies for an aircraft capable of fighter, attack, and reconnaissance missions to replace the Saab 35 Draken and 37 Viggen in the Swedish Air Force. A new design from Saab was selected and developed as the JAS 39, first flying in 1988 and entering service with the Swedish Air Force in 1996. Upgraded variants, featuring more advanced avionics and adaptations for longer mission times, began entering service in 2003.
To market the aircraft internationally, Saab formed partnerships and collaborative efforts with overseas aerospace companies, including, in 2001, BAE Systems. On the export market, early models of the Gripen achieved moderate success in sales to nations in Central Europe, South Africa, and Southeast Asia; bribery was suspected in some of these procurements, but authorities closed the investigation in 2009.
An updated and redeveloped version, designated Gripen JAS 39E/F but also referred to as Gripen NG or Super JAS, began deliveries to the Swedish and Brazilian air forces as of 2019. The changes include the adoption of a new powerplant, the General Electric F414G, an active electronically scanned array radar, and significantly increased internal fuel capacity.
As of 2020, more than 300 Gripens of all models, A-F, have been built.
The Gripen is a multirole fighter aircraft, intended as a lightweight and agile aerial platform with advanced, highly adaptable avionics. It has canard control surfaces that contribute a positive lift force at all speeds, while the generous lift from the delta wing compensates for the rear stabiliser producing negative lift at high speeds, increasing induced drag. Being intentionally unstable and employing digital fly-by-wire flight controls to maintain stability removes many flight restrictions, improves manoeuvrability, and reduces drag. The Gripen also has good short takeoff performance, being able to maintain a high sink rate and strengthened to withstand the stresses of short landings. More details
To market the aircraft internationally, Saab formed partnerships and collaborative efforts with overseas aerospace companies, including, in 2001, BAE Systems. On the export market, early models of the Gripen achieved moderate success in sales to nations in Central Europe, South Africa, and Southeast Asia; bribery was suspected in some of these procurements, but authorities closed the investigation in 2009.
An updated and redeveloped version, designated Gripen JAS 39E/F but also referred to as Gripen NG or Super JAS, began deliveries to the Swedish and Brazilian air forces as of 2019. The changes include the adoption of a new powerplant, the General Electric F414G, an active electronically scanned array radar, and significantly increased internal fuel capacity.
As of 2020, more than 300 Gripens of all models, A-F, have been built.