Saab Gripen JAS 39 (Sweden)

The Saab gripen is the newest Swedish fighter jet which has been developed by the Saab Industries for the Swedish Air Force (See Defence Industry). The gripen has replaced the saab draken and saab viggen in the Swedish Air Force.

General
Design organisation	Saab (Sweden)
Main secundary design organisations
Production organisaton	Saab
Primary task
Specials	4++ generation fighter jet
Type aircraft
Length	14.1 meters, 14.8 (2-seat)
Height	4.5 meters
Wingspan	8.4 meters
Wingsurface
Aspect ratio
Sweep back
Dihedral
Performance
Engines	1x Volvo Aero Corporation RM12 turbofan (F404)
Thrust	80 kN (18,000lbs) with afterburner
Weight (empty)
Weight (start, maximum, MTOW)	14.000 kgs
Weight (landing, maximum, MLW)
Required runway length (start)
Required runway length (landing)
Cruise speed
Maximum speed	mach 2
Ceiling
Maximum range
Fuel capacity
Air-to-air-refueling + capacity
Passengers	none
Payload	none
Equipment
Armament	Possible combination of: - air-to-air - air-to-ground - air-to-surface
Maximum weapon load
Maximum G resistance
Radar	Ericsson PS-05/A radar
Sensors
Avionics
Type flight controls	Triple, digital fly-by-wire
Landing gear	tricycle landing gear (2 main gears with each 1 tire, 1 nose gear with 2 tires)
Usage
Versions	JAS A, JAS, B, JAS C, JAS D
Manufactured	207
Crew	JAS A + C: 1 JAS B + D: 2
Costs
Overall flight hours
First flight
First delivery
Operational since	1997
Successor of
Replaced by
Comparable aircraft	Rafale, Eurofighter
Operators (current and future)	Sweden, Chez Republic, South-Africa, Hungary, Thailand
Main operators
Amphibious usage	No
Status	In operational service

Other countries
- Swiss is seriously interesting. Maybe to replace their F-18 Hornets.
- the Netherlands were interested to replace it with the current F-16 fleet in the Royal Netherlands Air Force.
- India was interested but they will not buy the fighter jet
- Hungary has bought 14 one-person and 2 two-persons aircrafts. On 16 February 2005 the manufacturing of the first aircraft for Hungary was completed.
- South-Africa has ordered 19 one-person and 9 two-person aircraft. The delivery will start in november 2005


Czech Republic
The Czech Republic has JAS-39C/D fighter jets. They have a maximum speed of 2400km/h and a Bk-27 27mm canon which can fire between the 1100 and 1700 shots a minute.

Thailand
In october 2007, Thailand's Council for National Security (CNS) reported that Thailand would buy 14 Saab Gripens.
In 2008, Thailand ordered 12 Gripens.
In 2011, the first batch of 6 Gripen C/Ds was delivered to the Royal Thai Air Force.