SAAB Gripen Fighter Jet

I have always loved this little Swedish Fighter Jet, it looks sleek and deadly and I have always admired the fact that this relatively small Scandinavian country can design and build its own indigenous military jets with huge success!

SAAB Jas 39 Gripen
Gripen Demo with Iris-T, Meteor and GBU10
Copyright Gripen International : Photographer: Katsuhiko TOKUNAGA
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SAAB Jas 39 Gripen
Gripen Demo with Iris-T, Meteor and GBU10
Copyright Gripen International : Photographer: Katsuhiko TOKUNAGA
Download Wallpaper: 1920 x 1200 : 1920 x 1080
1680 x 1050 : 1440 x 900 : 1280 x 800

SAAB Jas 39 Gripen
Gripen Demo with Iris-T, Meteor and GBU10
Copyright Gripen International : Photographer: Katsuhiko TOKUNAGA
Download Wallpaper: 1920 x 1200 : 1920 x 1080
1680 x 1050 : 1440 x 900 : 1280 x 800

The Saab JAS 39 Gripen (English: Griffin) is a lightweight fighter aircraft manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. Gripen International acts as a prime contracting organisation and is responsible for marketing, selling and supporting the Gripen fighter around the world.

The aircraft is in service with the Swedish Air Force, the Czech Air Force, the Hungarian Air Force and the South African Air Force, and has been ordered by the Royal Thai Air Force. A total of 236 Gripens have been ordered as of 2008.

General characteristics

• Crew: 1 (2 for JAS 39B/D)
• Length: 14.1 m (46 ft 3 in)
• Wingspan: 8.4 m (27 ft 7 in)
• Height: 4.5 m (14 ft 9 in)
• Wing area: 30.0 m² (323 ft²)
• Empty weight: 5,700 kg (14,600 lb)
• Loaded weight: 8,500 kg (18,700 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 14,000 kg (31,000 lb)
• Powerplant: 1× Volvo Aero RM12 afterburning turbofan
• Dry thrust: 54 kN (12,100 lbf)
• Thrust with afterburner: 80.5 kN (18,100 lbf)
• Wheel track: 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in)
• Length (two-seater): 14.8 m (48 ft 5 in)

Performance

• Maximum speed:
• At altitude: Mach 2 (2,470 km/h, 1,372 mph)
• Combat radius: 800 km (500 mi, 432 nmi)
• Ferry range: 3,200 km (2,000 mi) with drop tanks
• Service ceiling: 15,240 m (50,000 ft)
• Wing loading: 336 kg/m² (68.8 lb/ft²)
  
• Thrust/weight: 0.97

Armament

• 1 × 27 mm Mauser BK-27 cannon 120 rounds
• 6 × Rb.74 (AIM-9) or Rb 98 (IRIS-T)
• 4 ×Rb.99 (AIM-120) or MICA4 x Rb.71 (Skyflash) or Meteor
• 4 x Rb.75
• 2 x KEPD.350
• 4 x GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bomb
• 4 x rocket pods 13.5 cm rockets
• 2 x Rbs.15F anti-ship missile
• 2 x Bk.90 cluster bomb
• 8 x Mark 82 bombs
• 1 x ALQ-TLS ECM pod