| 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 | 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) | 800 km | | Ferry range (min load) | miles | km | | Service ceiling | 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, originally from Sweden but later also United Kingdom, manufactured by Saab and BAE Systems. The fighters are sold by the Gripen International corporation.
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 800m 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 9m x 800m 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 USD 25M in 1998.
External links
- Saab Gripen (http://www.gripen.com/) - Official site
- Saab Gripen links (http://dmoz.org/Society/Military/Aviation/Aircraft/Fighters/JAS-39_Gripen/) - dmoz
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