Uploaded September 2022 | Updated September 2026, 22 hours ago
Swedish Air Force (Flygvapnet) Saab JAS 39 Gripen Solo Display (SWE) at Airpower22 on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022.
The Saab JAS 39 Gripen (short for Gripen, Swedish for “the Griffin”) is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft manufactured by the Swedish company Saab and the successor to the Saab JA 37 Viggen. The designation JAS stands for Jakt, Attack och Spaning (Swedish for “Hunting, Attack and Reconnaissance”).
The first flight of the Saab 39 took place in 1988; the current version JAS 39C/D has been in service with the Swedish Air Force (Flygvapnet) since 2005. In addition, the air forces of South Africa, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Brazil and Thailand fly Gripen. The United Kingdom’s Empire Test Pilots School also operates a Gripen for training purposes.
The Saab 39 is available as a single- and two-seater. In addition, Gripen meets the requirements for high reliability, easy maintenance (partly by conscripts) and universal deployment. In particularly cold weather, the aircraft can be brought into the air quickly – after a comparatively short warm-up phase with the auxiliary power unit. Even on difficult ground conditions, take-off and landing are no major problem for experienced pilots.
The single-jet delta wing (the two wings form a triangle) is one of the lightweights of its profession. It cannot keep up with two-engined competitors such as the Eurofighter Typhoon. The Gripen has other talents though. Even in winter, for example, makeshift tracks, motorways, and unpaved roads are sufficient for take-off and landing. It is also very reliable and easy to maintain.
#gripen #flygvapnet #airpower22
Swedish Air Force (Flygvapnet) Saab JAS 39 Gripen Solo Display (SWE) at Airpower22 on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022.
The Saab JAS 39 Gripen (short for Gripen, Swedish for “the Griffin”) is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft manufactured by the Swedish company Saab and the successor to the Saab JA 37 Viggen. The designation JAS stands for Jakt, Attack och Spaning (Swedish for “Hunting, Attack and Reconnaissance”).
The first flight of the Saab 39 took place in 1988; the current version JAS 39C/D has been in service with the Swedish Air Force (Flygvapnet) since 2005. In addition, the air forces of South Africa, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Brazil and Thailand fly Gripen. The United Kingdom’s Empire Test Pilots School also operates a Gripen for training purposes.
The Saab 39 is available as a single- and two-seater. In addition, Gripen meets the requirements for high reliability, easy maintenance (partly by conscripts) and universal deployment. In particularly cold weather, the aircraft can be brought into the air quickly – after a comparatively short warm-up phase with the auxiliary power unit. Even on difficult ground conditions, take-off and landing are no major problem for experienced pilots.
The single-jet delta wing (the two wings form a triangle) is one of the lightweights of its profession. It cannot keep up with two-engined competitors such as the Eurofighter Typhoon. The Gripen has other talents though. Even in winter, for example, makeshift tracks, motorways, and unpaved roads are sufficient for take-off and landing. It is also very reliable and easy to maintain.
#gripen #flygvapnet #airpower22
