Saab JAS39 Gripen

Saab J39 Gripen at Le Bourget 2003 taxiing before takeoff

Saab JAS39 Gripen

The Saab JAS39 Gripen is to be used for three mission types: Fighter (Jakt), Attack (Attack) and Reconnaissance (Spanings). The combination of high-speed performance with short-field take-off and landing characteristics has been achieved by the association of a delta wing with canards. The canards on the Gripen are fully movable, and together with the elevons, gives the Gripen the optimum combination of maneuverability.

Several system functions also contribute to flight safety, e.g. automatic maneuver limits provided by the flight control system, a ground proximity warning system and an efficient pilot support system to improve tolerance to high G forces (+9/-3g). The wide-angle holographic Head-Up Display and the three large multi-function color head-down displays give the pilot an excellent overview of the situation in any flight conditions.

The two-seat version of the Gripen has been designed primarily for improved tactical training, particularly in the demanding high-g close-in combat air-to-air mission which is difficult to simulate accurately on the ground. The JAS39B/D Gripen has a 0,65 m longer fuselage to accommodate the rear cockpit. The cannon and its installation components have been deleted, so that the two-seater have the same flight performance as the single seat version.

The cockpit, including windshield and canopy, the air intakes and engine compressor are reinforced to withstand bird strikes. For emergency crew escape the Gripen with the Martin-Baker Mk 10L, zero/zero ejection seat.

The Saab Gripen has a modern fire-control and weapons system with an all-aspect look-down/shoot-down capability even against small low-flying targets. The impressive beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air combat capability of the Gripen is achieved by using a high-performance radar (Ericsson) combined with a low radar signature. The Gripen has the ability to share and display tactical data information with other aircraft in the combat area, this increases situation awareness and tactical surprise opportunities and enhances the capability of a group of aircraft working together.

In the Swedish Air Force, servicing is performed by five flight-line mechanics with limited training under the leadership of a single-technician. In a turn-around time of less than 10 minutes.

The prototype 39-1 wasn't so successful it crashed on his sixth flight, with test-pilot Lars Radestrom on February 2, 1989 at Linköping. The pilot flew for the first time with the Gripen, he had some problems with the stability (fly-by-wire) of the fighter, in the landing he hit with his left-wing the runway and the plane made an un-controlled flight, that ended on his back alongside the runway, the pilot had only a broken elbow.

Another crash was on August 8, 1993 at the Stockholm Water Festival with the same pilot as the first crash and also with fly-by-wire problems. This example was the second production JAS39A (39.102)

On September 20, 1999 Swedish Air Force lost his third JAS39A (39156/56) the pilot escaped safely. This aircraft came in the jet blast of an other JAS39 the pilot lost the control, the plane crashed in Vänern lake near the island Djurö.

The first air-to-air refueling trials took place in early November 1998 over the Irish sea. The Gripen linked with an RAF VC 10 tanker with a crew from DERA.

Developing nation:	Sweden.
Manufacturer/designer:	Saab Defence.
Production line:	Linköping.
Task:	Multi-Role Fighter/Bomber.
First flight:	-JAS39 December 9th 1988, 39-1. - JAS39A September 10, 1992, 39101. - JAS39B April 29, 1996, 39800. - JAS39C August 2002, 39208. - JAS39D June 2, 2004, 39815.
First delivery:	June 9, 1996.
First operational:	October 1, 1997, F 7 wing at Såtenäs AB.
	Saab JAS39 Gripen
Crew:	- JAS39A/C 1. - JAS39B/D 2.
Ejection seat:	Martin-Baker Mk 10L, zero/zero.
Wing Span:	8,40 m incl. wingtip launchers.
Length:	- 14,10 m (single seat). - 14,80 m (dual seat).
Height:	4,50 m.
Wheelbase:	5,30 m.
Wheeltrack:	2,40 m.
Engine:	One Volvo Aero Corporation RM12 (F404-GE-400) rated 54 kN dry and 80.5 kN with reheat.
Weight:	- Empty: 7.400 Kg. - Internal fuel: 2.270 Kg. - External fuel: 3.110 liter tanks. - Max. payload: 5.300 Kg.
Max. take off weight:	14.000 Kg.
Max. speed:	- 1.400 km/h (at sea level). - 2.126 km/h (high level).
Max. ceiling:	14.000 m.
Range:	- ferry range 3.000 km without drop tanks. - 800 km combat range. - 3000 km max. range.
Performance:	- max. rate of climb at sea level 6.000m per minute. - climb to 10.000 m in 1 minutes 40 seconds. - take-off run 400 m at max. take-off weight. - landing run 500 m at max. landing weight.
g limits:	-3/+9.
Radar:	Ericsson/GMAv PS-05/A pulse Doppler multimode look down/shoot down radar with multiple target track. incl. scan and ground mapping capabilities.
Centerline hardpoints:	2.
Underwing hardpoints:	6.
Wingtip hardpoints	2.
Weapons:	-27 mm Mauser BK-27 cannon with 120 rounds (JAS-39A/C). -Rb 74 (AIM-9L Sidewinder). -Rb 99 (AIM-120B AMRAAM). -IRIS-T. -GM-65 Maverick (210 kg). -M70 Rocket pods 6x 135 mm (364 kg). -RB 15F Anti ship Missile (598 kg) -Bk 39 Bombkaspsel M/90 Mjölner (600 kg) this is a gliding bomblet dispenser with 48 submunition of the types MJ-1 (Fragmentation) and MJ-2 (anti-tank). -General-purpose bombs. -Cluster bombs.

Bombkaspsel M/90 Mjölner

RB 15F Antiship missile.

Test fleet Saab JAS39 Gripen
Serial	first flight
39-1	December 9, 1988 (crashed February 2, 1988.
39-2	May 4, 1990.
39-3	March 25, 1991.
39-4	December 20, 1990.
39-5	October 23, 1991.
Production Swedish Air Force (Flygvapnet):
Lot	Nr. ordered	Total type	Serials
-	5 (June 1982).	JAS 39 Gripen.	39-1 / 39-5
1	30 (June 1982).	JAS 39A Gripen.	39101 / 39130
1	1 (June 1982).	JAS 39B Gripen.	39800
2	77 (June 1992).	JAS 39A Gripen.	39131 / 39207
3	15 (June 1992).	JAS 39B Gripen.	39801 / 39814
4	50 (June 1997).	JAS 39C Gripen.	39208 / 39276
5	15 (June 1997).	JAS 39D Gripen.	39815 / 39829
First production (JAS39A) maiden flight was on September 10, 1992 with pilot Reino Lidvik on the controls. The first time in service by the Swedish Air Force was on June 9, 1996. The first JAS 39C was delivered in 2003.
Order book from outside Sweden:
South Africa.	9 dual, and options for 19 single sweaters. The two sweaters will be delivered in 2006-2008 and if the option for the single sweaters is exercised (2004), they will be delivered in 2009-2011.
Hungary.	Leased 14 Gripens from Saab / Swedish Air Force (November 7th 2001) 12 JAS39C and 2 JAS39D.
Czech Republic.	Leased 14 Gripens from Saab / Swedish Air Force 12 JAS39C and 2 JAS39D.

Saab JAS 39 Gripen operators:
Swedish Air Force:	- 5 JAS39 prototypes. - 107 JAS39A. - 15 JAS39B. - 50 JAS39C. - 13 JAS39D.
Czech Air Force:	- 12 JAS39C.
Hungarian Air Force.	- 12 JAS39C. - 2 JAS39D.
South-African Air Force.	- 19 JAS39C. - 9 JAS39D.

Saab JAS39 Gripen written-off by accidents:

02feb89 39-1 Prototype Saab
08aug93 39102 JAS39A Swedish Air Force
20sep99 39156 JAS39A Swedish Air Force

Research : R. Vogelaar