IDN TAKE: Why India Should Seriously Consider the SAAB JAS-39 GRIPEN Fighter Offer

Gripen is a unique fighter concept, bringing a perfect balance between excellent operational performance, high-tech solutions, cost-efficiency and industrial partnership into one, smart fighter system. That’s why we call it “The smart fighter”.

Gripen is a new generation of multi-role fighter aircraft featuring state-of-the-art technology. It is capable of performing an extensive range of air-to-air, air-to-surface and reconnaissance missions employing the most modern range of weapons. Gripen is designed to meet the demands of current and future threats, while at the same time meeting strict requirements for flight safety, reliability, training efficiency and low operating costs.

Designed to ensure outstanding combat agility. Gripen features a delta-canard configuration with relaxed aerodynamic stability. The delta wing and canards, along with the digital Fly-By-Wire Flight Control System, give the fighter an optimum combination of manoeuvrability, acceleration, top speed and short-field performance.

Gripen Next Generation (NG) is a fully NATO-interoperable, true multi-role fighter with outstanding availability, tailored for the future Network Centric Warfare (NCW) environment. Gripen NG will meet the demanding operational requirements of the 21st century air forces and its unrivalled multi-role capability provides excellent tactical flexibility.

Gripen NG offers operational dominance and flexibility with superior mission survivability. Air-to-air superiority is guaranteed with METEOR, AMRAAM, IRIS-T, AIM-9 missile capability and supercruise. Air-to-surface capability is assured through the use of the latest generation precision weapons and targeting sensors. Gripen NG's superior situation awareness is ensured through an AESA radar, IRST passive sensor, HMD, cutting-edge avionics, next generation data processing and a state-of-the-art cockpit.

Together with proven Network Centric Warfare capabilities including advanced data communications, dual data links, satellite communications and video links, make Gripen NG the ideal independent fighter of choice. On-board sensors, in combination with HMD/NVG, deliver the ability to detect and destroy a wide variety of targets, even at night or in poor weather conditions.

Gripen has highly developed net centric warfare capabilities. The objective is to find and exploit information. With this definition every Gripen unit is net centric, considering the high-end sensor suite and strong focus on data links for sharing information within the Gripen Tactical unit. Gripen already has Link 16 which is used for battle space control in large NATO-led operations, as well as digital CAS and video link for cooperation with Forward Air Controllers on the ground

Gripen is a true multirole fighter, designed as such from the very beginning. This means it can perform missions in all the three roles: air-to-air, air-to-surface and reconnaissance. It can change role while airborne, and it can even act in multiple roles simultaneously. This simultaneous capability is likely to grow over time, as the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and other systems are further developed.

Gripen has stable, affordable acquisition and low life cycle costs. This gives air forces a reliable basis on which to budget for operations and fleet sustainment over the long term. Gripen’s inherent reliability and low maintenance footprint boosts force levels and operational effectiveness.

The Gripen fighter is in service with a number of air forces: Swedish, Czech, Hungarian, South African and Thai. The UK Empire Test Pilots’ School (ETPS) is operating Gripen as its advanced fast jet platform for test pilots worldwide. Also, Brazil has signed a contract for the development and production of 36 Gripen NG fighter aircraft.

The radar for Gripen NG is produced by Selex in Scotland and called ES-05 Raven. ES-05 is an AESA radar, which is state of the art for new fighters nowadays. AESA stands for Active Electronically Scanned Array and means that, in contrast to older generation radars, it has not only one antenna but a full array of small antennas, called elements.

This means that the radar can simultaneously and independently track different targets, and also track targets independently of search volumes thus providing Tactical advantages. The ability to control the elements separately and the high speed re-direction give Gripen a significant tactical advantage.

The IRST for Gripen NG is produced by Selex in Italy and called Skyward G. IRST stands for Infrared Search and Track and is an electro-optical system mounted in the nose of Gripen NG. Its sensor sits on top of the nose, just in front of the canopy, and is looking forward in a wide sector registering heat emissions from other aircraft, helicopters and from objects on the ground and sea surface. The IRST is a passive sensor, meaning that it never emits any energy. It only listens for energy coming from other sources. The tactical advantage of a passive sensor is that it will not give your position away. Opponents will have no indication whatsoever that Gripen NG is using its IRST to monitor their activities.

In addition to the wide range of weapons and stores already in the arsenal, almost any weapon can be integrated, giving Gripen very high weapon flexibility. This is partly due to the flexible avionic architecture. Because of its well-documented ease of new weapon integration, Gripen served as the main test platform for Meteor, the latest long range air to air missile. The high weapon flexibility in Gripen basically means that the weapon solution, to a great extent, can be customised at a lower cost than for equivalent fighter platforms.