Lets take a look at the third European fighter: the JAS Gripen NG. The Gripen is produced by the Swedish company Saab. I didn't just call it the IKEA fighter because it is Swedish. It is also an IKEA fighter because it uses many off-the-shelf products. The F414-GE-39E engine is a variation of the engine of the Super Hornet. Its radar has British and Italian origins. The IRST system has Italian origins as well. The Gripen is a canard-deltawing just like it bigger brethren. Duck tape is still not required. IKEA products come with all the necessary skrews.
The Gripen NG is a prototype based on the older Gripen fighters. The Gripen flew for the first time in 1988. The A and B versions were small single-engine fighters perfectly suited for neutral Sweden. They were superseded by the C and D version who where NATO compatible and could be refueled in flight. Saab has now presented the new and improved Gripen NG.
Air-to-ground mission
The Gripen is available as both a single and double seater. The older C/D versions had only 8 hardpoints. The Gripen NG has 9 plus one for ECM or FLIR pods. It can carry a maximum payload of 7200kg (15,875lbs). Three hardpoints are suitable for fuel tanks. It can carry the popular Paveway bombs and a lot more including cruise missiles and the Brimstone... Or at least it will be able to do so because the Gripen NG is still in development.The new Gripen NG will have modern defensive equipment including: radar warning receiver, missile approach warning system, electronic support measures and countermeasures.
The new and improved Gripen should have nearly everything that its bigger brethren (Rafale and Typhoon) have but in a smaller single-engine package.
Air-to-air mission
It may be small but it is a fierce little duck. The Gripen is a close-coupled canard delta wing which makes it very maneuverable. It has a top speed of Mach 2 and a service ceiling of 18000m (59000 ft). It will have an AESA radar and an IRST system. This is a small fighter. So there is not a lot of room to put a big radar in it, unlike say a Typhoon. But smaller aircraft have a smaller RCS, levelling the playing field.A nice bonus is that it can carry both older American AIM-120 and AIM-9 missiles as well as new European missiles like the Meteorn IRIS-T and MICA. Plenty of choice. The integration of the Meteor is proceeding well on the Gripen. The integration on the Typhoon and Rafale will happen a bit later. The Gripen NG will have a two-way datalink with the Meteor.
Ducks fly in formation. The Gripen has a special data link system called TIDLS which allows easy and secured communication between several Gripens flying together. This gives the pilot good situational awareness.
Cost and ease of maintenance
Affordability is Saab biggest selling point. This made the Gripen C and D popular with smaller countries like Hungary and the Czech Republic. Brazil has decided to acquire the new Gripen NG for its cheapness as well.The unit flyaway cost for the Gripen NG is reported at 60 million USD (54 million euro). Just keep in mind that the Gripen NG isn't in full production yet. It could become more expensive if extra systems are added or it could become cheaper once produced in signifant numbers. It is rumoured that Saab offered the Netherlands 85 Gripens NG for the same price as 37 F-35's. The Dutch still picked the F-35 but that's not the point.
The cost per flight hour of the old Gripen C is 4700 USD/hour. The new NG version is a bit more complicated so those costs will be likely a bit higher.
Still it is clearly visible that the Gripen is a lot cheaper than the other fighters.
More here: saab-gripen-analysis
Cooperation
Sweden, Hungary and the Czech Republic are currently operating the C and D variants. The Gripen is definately popular amongst the smaller Eastern European countries. Sweden is the driving force behind the new NG version and will acquire it. However Belgium usually prefers to cooperate with its Western European neighbours. And Sweden isn't part of NATO.Is it right for Belgium?
The JAS Gripen NG will be a big improvement over the older C and D versions. It will get very close to the performances of the Rafale and Typhoon at a cheaper price.
I do have some concerns. The Gripen NG is a further development of the Gripen A. Much has been improved in the newer version. Nonetheless it still remains a small single engine fighter. The Gripen NG might be as good as it's gonna get. Aircraft tend to get upgraded during their lifetime. This usually means that more stuff is added = more weight and more space needed. Saab already redesigned the aircraft to make room for more fuel. Extra stuff can be added as external pods attached to the hardpoints but this uses up hardpoints and room.
*SAM threats are becoming more dangerous. This means that fighters might need extra jammers, decoys, sensors etc as part of future upgrades.
*Tanker aircraft are vulnerable targets. They will have to operate further back in dangerous environments. So fighters will need to have drop tanks or conformal fuel tanks to be more self-sufficient.
*Modern 4+ and 5th generation fighters tend to have decent countermeasures. This means that it will take several A2A missiles to get a kill.
You can only hang so much under the wings. I think that this is one of the advantages of the bigger aircraft. They have extra room for future modifications and more hardpoints.
The second catch here is that the NG is still in development. It is still a paper plane so to speak of. Saab claims that the Gripen NG will be almost as good as the Rafale and Typhoon. The Swiss tested the older C variant vs the Rafale and Typhoon and concluded that the Gripen C was far inferior to the other two. Saab is still catching up while the other two are considering ways to improve their aircraft even more.
Overall the Gripen NG could be a great fighter for Belgium. The Belgian Air Component is looking to buy 34 aircraft but if the Gripen is selected than there might be money left for extra planes or something else. Maybe a cheap aircraft dedicated to close air support like the A-10 Warthog?
I do have some concerns. The Gripen NG is a further development of the Gripen A. Much has been improved in the newer version. Nonetheless it still remains a small single engine fighter. The Gripen NG might be as good as it's gonna get. Aircraft tend to get upgraded during their lifetime. This usually means that more stuff is added = more weight and more space needed. Saab already redesigned the aircraft to make room for more fuel. Extra stuff can be added as external pods attached to the hardpoints but this uses up hardpoints and room.
*SAM threats are becoming more dangerous. This means that fighters might need extra jammers, decoys, sensors etc as part of future upgrades.
*Tanker aircraft are vulnerable targets. They will have to operate further back in dangerous environments. So fighters will need to have drop tanks or conformal fuel tanks to be more self-sufficient.
*Modern 4+ and 5th generation fighters tend to have decent countermeasures. This means that it will take several A2A missiles to get a kill.
You can only hang so much under the wings. I think that this is one of the advantages of the bigger aircraft. They have extra room for future modifications and more hardpoints.
The second catch here is that the NG is still in development. It is still a paper plane so to speak of. Saab claims that the Gripen NG will be almost as good as the Rafale and Typhoon. The Swiss tested the older C variant vs the Rafale and Typhoon and concluded that the Gripen C was far inferior to the other two. Saab is still catching up while the other two are considering ways to improve their aircraft even more.
Overall the Gripen NG could be a great fighter for Belgium. The Belgian Air Component is looking to buy 34 aircraft but if the Gripen is selected than there might be money left for extra planes or something else. Maybe a cheap aircraft dedicated to close air support like the A-10 Warthog?
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