The Scandinavian Griffin and its rackets. How Swedish Gripen planes can be useful to the Armed Forces and what are the advantages of these fighters

On September 14, it turned out that several Ukrainian pilots had the opportunity to undergo test training on Gripen fighters in Sweden and successfully passed the process.

"The orientation training has been completed and according to the report I received from the Defense Forces, it went well," said Swedish Defense Minister Paul Jonsson.

According to him, the training included test flights both on the aircraft and in simulators, as well as briefings for ground staff.

According to Jönsson, Stockholm does not rule out providing Gripen to Ukraine, “but the experience gained during the training program should now become the basis for ongoing work on defining the conditions for this”. There is no final decision on the transfer of these aircraft to Ukraine, but on September 12, Swedish media reported that the Swedish government is considering transferring several JAS 39 Gripen fighters to Ukraine.

At the end of August 2022, Air Marshal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Yuri Ignat recalled that the possibility of supplying these aircraft to Ukraine was discussed during the summer visit of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and the Commander of the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Mykola Oleschuk to Sweden. "He [Oleschuk] left [in Sweden] two specialists, pilots, who can make certain analyzes and conclusions as to whether this plane is suitable for use in the Air Force," Ignat explained.

NV recalls the most important facts about the Gripen fighter and its clear advantage over the F-16.

Gripen planes: what are these planes and what are their advantages

Gripen aircraft (translated as “griffin”) were developed and manufactured by the Swedish company Saab. These are Swedish fourth-generation multirole fighters (like the American F-16), whose development began in the late 1970s. Their creation was part of the country's defense strategy in the event of a possible conflict between the Western powers and the USSR.

They were adopted by the Swedish Air Force in the mid-1990s. Airplanes of this type were exported to the Czech Republic, Hungary, South Africa, Thailand, Brazil, etc.

Gripen fighters also took part in the international military operation in Libya, where they patrolled the airspace and conducted reconnaissance. These aircraft are known for their ease of maintenance, unpretentiousness of runways and relative cheapness of operation. The JAS 39 Gripen is also cheaper than the F-16 and easier to control.

Generally, there are several generations of Gripen aircraft: A (single)/B (double), C/D and E/F. All of them are equipped with modern digital systems, radars and navigation. The JAS 39 Gripen has as many as 10 weapon suspension points and is able to carry missiles of various classes.

The most popular modification of the JAS 39 Gripen aircraft is the C series. Its main technical parameters are as follows:

• Length: 14.9 m
• Width: 8.4 m
• Weight: 6.8 tons
• Maximum take-off weight: 14 tons
• Crew: 1 person
• Maximum height: 16 km
• Operational range: 3000 km
• Maximum speed: 1,400 km/h
• Volvo RM12 engine with a thrust of 54.5 kN

Armament

• 27 mm Mauser BK-27 gun, firing 1,700 rounds per minute
• 8 suspension points for a wide range of weapons: air-to-air, air-to-ground missiles, cruise missiles and aerial bombs, especially precision ones

The aircraft was designed according to the "duck" aerodynamic pattern, which improves maneuverability at high speeds and improves take-off and landing characteristics.

The Gripen needs a runway of only 400 m for take-off and 500 m for landing. You can do it on a regular highway.

The fighter is able to detect air targets at a distance of up to 120 km, and ground targets, even moving ones, at a distance of up to 70 km. It is also capable of simultaneously tracking up to 10 air targets and attacking 4 of them.

Gripen vs. F-16. How the Armed Forces can use the capabilities of Swedish fighters

Already last year, the specialist portal The War Zone noted that Swedish aircraft may be one of the best options for the Armed Forces. Its analysts recalled that despite their relatively small dimensions and weight, these fighters meet the requirements of high efficiency and reliability. They are also designed to work in very difficult conditions, including winter.

The Gripen's single engine, developed by Volvo, is relatively fuel efficient compared to other options, and the fighters themselves have a wide range of weapons available from many countries.

"It has good properties, modern radar and avionics, as well as small size, which makes it difficult to detect visually," emphasized The War Zone experts.

They emphasized that the Swedish planes "really match the current combat doctrine used by Ukraine" very well. Although the fact that it is a Swedish development complicates the ability of Ukraine's Western partners, in particular NATO countries, to operate these aircraft.

Another important advantage of the Gripen aircraft for the Armed Forces is the ability to launch long-range MBDA Meteor air-to-air missiles, "which would be a huge advantage for Ukraine," emphasize "The War Zone" analysts. "They give Ukrainian pilots access to air-to-air missile weapons with the longest range currently available in NATO, which will give them an advantage in clashes with Russian aircraft, many of which are kept at a certain distance from the front," analysts emphasize. Meteor missiles would enable Ukrainian pilots to confront Russian aircraft from a greater distance, but would also have the ability to hit them.

Already in April last year, The Economist magazine also published a review which suggested that the Swedish Gripen fighters could be even better suited for the Ukrainian army than the American F-16.

The authors of the article emphasized that the Swedish fighter “is in many respects ideal for Ukraine's needs”: it was designed specifically to protect Swedish airspace from Russian planes, and can also land on short runways and even highways.

According to Justin Bronek, an analyst at Britain's Royal Joint Defense Research Institute, runways at Soviet airports were constructed of concrete panels with moss and rocks accumulating between them. In his opinion, he stated that in such conditions the Gripen should take off and land better than the F-16.