5th Generation fighters.

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Arnbjorn
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Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 11:44 am

5th Generation fighters.

Post by Arnbjorn »

Continuing on the worlds best fighter jets of their time al developed by SAAB in Sweden...

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Tunnan:

The first production version of the "Flygande Tunnan (Flying Barrel)", as it was nicknamed, was the "J-29A". A total of 224 were built from 1951 to 1954, initially entering into Flygvapnet service in January 1952.

The J-29A was powered by the RM2 Ghost with 22.3 kN (2,270 kgp / 5,000 lbf) thrust, built under license by Svenska Flygmotor. Trim tabs were added, as well as dive brakes. The dive brakes were mounted on the wings in early J-29A production, but were then moved to the fuselage ahead of the main landing gear doors.

The J-29A was followed by the "J-29B", which was fitted with extra fuel tanks in the wings, increasing its fuel capacity by 50%. It also was fitted with stores pylons for bombs and rockets, allowing it to be used in the attack role. For this reason it was also referred to as the "A-29B". It is unclear if any sort of stores pylons were ever fitted to the earlier J-29A.

Possible J-29B underwing loads included:

Up to twelve 75-millimeter (2.95 inch) unguided air-to-air rockets, with three mounted in a stack on each pylon.

Up to fourteen 145-millimeter (5.7 inch) unguided anti-armor rockets or 150-millimeter (5.9 inch) high-explosive (HE) rockets, with eight rockets connected directly to pylons and six more mounted beneath these rockets.

Up to four 125-kilogram (275-pound) 180-millimeter (7.1 inch) HE antiship rockets.

Two 400-liter (106 US gallon) or 500-liter (132 US gallon) drop tanks that could also be kitted up as napalm bombs.

The initial flight of the J-29B was on 11 March 1953, and 332 were built from 1953 to 1955. The type set a world speed record of 977.35 KPH (607.05 MPH) over a 500 kilometer (310 mile) closed-circuit course in 1954.

SAAB was also working on a reconnaissance variant of the Tunnan, the "S-29C". This version featured a modified nose, with a flat bottom and straight sides, accommodating five cameras of various sorts. The cameras replaced the four cannon. The S-29C also had tail-warning radar, originally mounted in the tailcone but later moved to the fuselage.

Initial flight of the S-29C was on 3 June 1953. 76 were built from 1954 through 1956. Two S-29Cs set an international speed record of 900.6 KPH (559.4 MPH) over a 1,000 kilometer (621 mile) closed-circuit course in 1955.

Other work proceeding in parallel focused on improving the Tunnan's performance. Svenska Flygmotor developed an afterburning version of the Ghost turbojet, with 27.5 kN (2,800 kgp / 6,175 lbf) afterburning thrust, and this improved engine was fitted to a J-29B for tests. This single modified aircraft was designated "J-29D".

In addition, SAAB engineers were refining the wing design to improve the aircraft "critical Mach number", resulting in a new wing with a "dogtooth" leading edge. This wing was used on a new Tunnan variant, the "J-29E", with the prototype flying on 3 December 1953. 29 J-29Es were built in 1955. The new wing was also refitted to S-29C reconnaissance aircraft, with no change in designation.

The last variant of the Tunnan was the "J-29F", which featured the afterburning Ghost engine that had been evaluated on the single J-29D and the dogtooth wing developed for the J-29E. The prototype performed its first flight on 20 March 1954, and demonstrated much improved take-off and climb characteristics.

There were no new-production J-29Fs; all J-29Fs were updates of existing Tunnan fighter variants. The aircraft updated included the single J-29D, 288 J-29Bs, and 19 J-29Es. In 1963, all J-29Fs remaining in front-line service were fitted to carry a pair of US-designed AIM-9B Sidewinder heat-seeking air-to-air missiles, built by SAAB under license as the "Rb-24".

The Tunnan saw action in the Congo in the early 1960s as part of a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping force. Five J-29Bs were provided to the UN in the fall of 1961, followed by two S-29Cs and then four more J-29Bs. Four of the eleven were returned to Sweden in the spring of 1963, with the remainder being destroyed on the ground that summer.

The only foreign user of the Tunnan was Austria, which bought 15 J-29Fs in 1961. SAAB tidied them up before delivery, and the Austrians put them to use as fighter-bombers. The Austrians bought 15 more J-29Fs in 1962, with these aircraft modified by AB Svenska Flygverkstaedernda in Malmoe to accommodate a removeable reconnaissance module. This module could be mounted on the left side of the nose, swapping out the two cannon, and twelve of these modules were delivered.

A total of 661 Tunnans were built in all. They were out of first-line service by the mid-1960s, with a few used as target tugs and for other second-string tasks into the early 1970s. At least one is still airworthy and used for photo events.

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Lansen:

The initial production version of the Lansen (Lance) was the tandem-seat "A32A" dedicated attack variant, which entered Flygvapnet service in 1955. By 1957, twelve squadrons had been equipped with the A32A.

The A32A was armed with four Swedish-built British Hispano Mark V 20 millimeter cannon fitted in the nose, with 180 rounds per gun. The gun ports were sealed by shutters that popped open automatically when the pilot disengaged the weapon safety. A pair of small plates under the nose prevented the ejected casings from being sucked into the engine intakes. The casings still struck the centerline external fuel tank, and so the nose of the fuel tank was protected by a neoprene plastic shell.

There were six stores pylons under each wing, for a total of twelve pylons. Underwing stores included unguided Bofors rockets, ranging from from 60 millimeter practice rockets to 180 millimeter anti-armor rockets, carried in pairs under each pylon for a total of 24 rockets; twelve light or four heavy bombs; or a pair of SAAB RB-04 antiship missiles. The RB-04 was a solid-fuel weapon with a canard configuration, featuring wide wings with wingtip fins. It was one of the first modern antiship missiles, with its own self-contained radar seeker, allowing "fire and forget" operation. However, it was not capable of sea-skimming operation. The Lansen could also carry a chaff pod to blind adversary radars.

The Lansen featured a pressurized cockpit with SAAB-designed ejector seats, as well as an uprated RM5A2 engine with a Swedish-designed afterburner. The RM5A2 provided 44.1 kN (4,500 kgp / 9,920 lbf) afterburning thrust. About a fourth of the A32As built were fitted with a French-designed PS-431/A attack radar, built in Sweden under license. A radar-equipped Lansen would lead several other Lansens in performing attacks. Similarly, in operational practice only one aircraft of a group would carry a navigator.

The Lansen was an effective strike aircraft, providing a stable platform for cannon and rocket attacks. A total of 287 A32As were delivered from 1955 through 1958, with that number possibly including three P1150s brought up to full production spec. The type remained in service until 1978, when it was replaced by the SAAB 37 Viggen fighter.

The A32A was followed in production by the "J32B", a tandem-seat all-weather fighter variant. The initial J32B first flew on 7 January 1957, and the type went into squadron service in July 1958.

The J32B was fitted with an uprated Avon Series 200 engine, built under license as the RM6B and also featuring a Swedish-designed afterburner. The RM6B provided 67.6 kN (6,900 kgp / 15,210 lbf) afterburning thrust. The increased airflow required for the new engine led to a slight enlargement of the jet intakes. The four 20 millimeter cannon were replaced by four British Aden 30 millimeter revolver-type cannon. The gun-port shutters were deleted, and the casings were stored rather than ejected.

The J32B was guided to a target by Ericsson radar and a SAAB S6 computerized fire-control system. The pilot's control panel featured a radar gunsight display that integrated radar data with inputs from a Hughes AN/AAR-4 infrared search & track (IRST) sensor fitted under the left wing on some J32Bs. The radar gunsight provided indicators to tell the pilot when he had an optimum firing solution.

The J32B had four stores pylons, which were initially used to carry two unguided 75 millimeter rocket pods, but from 1960 these pylons were wired to also carry the Rb-324 air-to-air missile (AAM), a license-built Swedish copy of the American Sidewinder AAM. Four Sidewinders, or two Sidewinders and two rocket pods, could be carried.

At its peak, seven Flygvapnet squadrons flew the J32B. A total of 118 J32Bs were delivered from 1958 through 1960. Most of the J32Bs were withdrawn from service in the 1970s, though a few would be modified and linger for two decades longer, as is explained in the next section.

The third and last production version of the Lansen was the "S32C" dedicated night reconnaissance variant. The S32C was unarmed and featured a modified nose to carry cameras, with at least two different camera suites fitted during the aircraft's operational lifetime.

The S32C basically used the airframe of the A32A, and was powered by the A32A's R5M engine. The S32C could carry a chaff dispenser and up to twelve British-built 75 kilogram (165 pound) photoflash bombs. It was fitted with a modified version of the A32A's radar, designated the PS-432/A, for spotting reconnaissance targets. The radar display could be photographed to record intelligence data. The S32C was also fitted with a radar warning receiver.

Initial flight of the S32C was on 26 March 1957. 44 were delivered in 1958 and 1959, bringing the total of new-build Lansens to a final sum of 450. The S32C was retired from service in 1978.

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Draken:

The Draken (Dragon) proved to have excellent performance and was a ""pilot's aircraft"", easy to fly and with few or no vices. The only major limitation of the type, common to jet aircraft of that era, was that it had limited range and endurance, and as a delta it had a relatively long takeoff run, since flaps could not be used with the such a configuration. It was easy to maintain, with the fuselage bolted together at midsection to make it straightforward to pull apart for engine access. The outer wing sections could be easily removed for shipping or storing the aircraft.

Flight control was provided by rudder, along with ""elevons"" running the width of the rear of the wing. The elevons were split, with one on the inboard section of the wing and the other on the outboard section of the wing. The elevons on each side of the wing operated in unison for pitch control and in opposition for roll control. The flight surfaces were driven by a dual redundant hydraulic system. There was a small airbrake on either side of the fuselage, near the end of the wing.

The pilot sat in a simple Saab-designed ejection seat, reclined 30 degrees to help deal with gee forces, under a clamshell-style canopy. The cockpit was pressurized and air-conditioned. The Draken had tricycle landing gear, with single wheels on each assembly. The nose gear had a mudguard for rough field operation and retracted backward, while the main gear hinged from the wing root to retract outward into the wing. The main gear legs contracted during retraction. A drag chute was fitted at the base of the vertical tailplane to reduce landing roll. A pop-up ram-air turbine was provided for emergency power.

The J35A was armed with twin 30 millimeter British Aden revolver-type cannon, with one cannon in each inner wing section, outboard of the engine intake. There were 90 rounds per gun.

One confusing issue about the J35A is the number of stores pylons. The configuration seen in most images of the Draken is two pylons arranged side-by-side under the fuselage, and a single pylon on each wing, for a total of four pylons. All four pylons were ""wet"" and could carry external tanks, but the two fuselage pylons usually carried the tanks, which had a capacity of 530 liters (140 US gallons) each.

To complicate matters, apparently a single centerline pylon could be fitted, likely as an alternative to the two fuselage pylons rather than in addition to them, and instead of the single wing pylon, three stub pylons for carrying unguided air-to-surface rockets could be installed. It appears that these alternative pylon configurations were rarely fitted, and so as a rule the J35A had four stores pylons.

In 1961, J35As were fitted for carriage of four ""RB24"" air-to-air missiles (AAMs), which were US AIM-9B Sidewinder heat-seekers built in Sweden under license. The Adam could also be used in a secondary ground attack role, carrying Bofors 135 millimeter (5.3 inch) unguided rockets, 100 kilogram (220 pound) bombs, and 250 kilogram (550 pound) bombs.

The Draken was essentially a day interceptor, intended for tail chase pursuit, though it did have Saab ""S6"" fire-control system (FCS), featuring Ericsson-built Thomson-CSF ""Cyrano"" radar, to give it some all-weather capability. A few J35As were later modified with the ""SB6"" FCS, which included an ""infrared search and track (IRST)"" sensor under the nose. The Adam was fitted with a simple autopilot, a Swedish built copy of a US Lear design.

90 J35As were built in all. The first three were pre-series aircraft, while the next seventeen were operational evaluation machines, and so it wasn't until the 21st J35A that the type reached a stable standard.

The last 28 were fitted with an improved ""Model 66"" afterburner, resulting in a longer rear fuselage with revised contours. This demanded fit of a pair of small retractable ""roller skate"" tailwheels to keep the rear of the aircraft from scraping the runway during high angle of attack takeoffs or landings. Earlier J35As had a small solid bumper for this purpose, which was said to have left quite a trail of sparks when it struck the tarmac.

The J35A wasn't compatible with the Swedish ""STRIL 60"" semi-automatic ground control system, limiting its usefulness, and so the J35A mostly served as an operational trainer and evaluation aircraft.

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Viggen:

The AJ 37 attack variant of the Viggen ("Thunderbolt"), where ""AJ"" stands for ""Attack Jagt / Strike Fighter"", was the first of the series to go into service, and makes a useful baseline for further discussion.

The AJ 37 has a spikelike fuselage, with: fixed oval-shaped engine inlets alongside the canopy, the inlets set off from the fuselage to avoid ingesting stagnant ""boundary layer"" air; a large rear-mounted delta wing; canards alongside the engine inlets; and a tall tailfin. Overall construction is of aircraft aluminum honeycomb, with titanium where required, such as engine firewalls. The Viggen is arguably less elegant in appearance than its predecessor, the SAAB 35 Draken, or its successor, the SAAB 39 Gripen, but it has a certain solid, businesslike, and combatative style of its own. However, the extensive use of aluminum honeycomb makes it a surprisingly light aircraft for its size.

The wing has a somewhat complicated form, featuring a double delta with something of a ""hoop skirt"" appearance in planform and a dogtooth on each outer span. The dogtooth was added to improve logitudinal stability when carrying external stores. Each dogtooth is further marked by a bullet fairing for a radar warning receiver (RWR) antenna. There are two-section hydraulically actuated elevons on the trailing edge of each wing.

The canards direct turbulent airflow over the main wing at low speeds, reducing the stall speed on landings. They have no dihedral and are fixed at a few degrees of incidence, but have trailing-edge flaps to improve takeoff performance. The canards on the first prototype had a noticeable dihedral when the machine was rolled out, but the dihedral was eliminated before the initial flight. The tailfin is fixed, with a one-piece rudder. It folds to the left to allow the aircraft to be stowed in hardened shelters at field bases. There is a fixed ventral fin under the tail.

The AJ 37 features tricycle landing gear, with all gear featuring two wheels. The nose gear retracts forward. Each main gear assembly unusually features its two wheels in tandem to reduce its depth for storage in the wing, and retracts inward from the wing towards the fuselage, with the main gear struts telescoping during retraction for a tighter fit. The landing gear is heavily shock-absorbed to permit steep approaches for short landings. Landings are said to be ""firm"" and apparently are much along the lines of carrier landings, except that the landing strip isn't moving.

The RM8A afterburning turbofan is actually at the core a Pratt & Whitney JT8D-22 commercial turbofan used on the Boeing 727 and Douglas DC-9 airliners, built under license by Svenska Flygmotor (later Volvo Flygmotor) and fitted with a Swedish-designed afterburner and thrust reverser. It is said to be the first production engine to ever have such a combination of features. The engine provides 115.7 kN (11,800 kgp / 26,015 lbf) afterburning thrust. The thrust reverser features three ""jaws"" that snap shut when the nose gear touches down and blast the exhaust forward through three slots around the fuselage under the tail.

It is unclear how the engine is started; cutaways of the machine do not show anything that resembles an auxiliary power unit. The Viggen does have a ram-air turbine for emergency flight power, fitted to a door under the trailing edge of the left canard that pops out when hydraulic power is lost and (for some puzzling reason) when the landing gear is extended.

There is a fuel tank in each wing, a saddle tank over the engine, a tank on each side of the engine, and a tank behind the cockpit, for a total of six tanks. There is no provision for inflight refueling, as that would imply a ""force projection"" capability not in line with Sweden's defensive posture.

The pilot sits under a rear-opening clamshell canopy behind a one-piece windshield hardened against birdstrikes. There is a prominent humped dorsal spine running back from the canopy; most of the prototypes had a less prominent straight spine, but the enlarged spine improved transonic handling and was adopted for production.

The Viggen was originally fitted with a SAAB ""Mark 2"" rocket-boosted ejection seat with zero-altitude capability, but as demonstrated by the accident that killed Lennart Fryoe, the aircraft had to be moving 75 KPH (47 MPH) or more for the seat to work reliably. The ""Mark 1"" seat, incidentally, was the development version and was apparently never operationally fielded on any aircraft. It is an indication of the Swedish ""do it ourselves"" mentality that SAAB actually developed their own ejection seat, when a all-but-standard British Martin Baker seat would have probably been as good or better in technical and economic respects.

The control layout is analog, as would be expected of aircraft of its period, but features a Svenska Radio / Ericsson (SRA) head-up display (HUD) for primary flight data, including displays generated by the instrument landing system to help guide the aircraft down. The most significant element in the AJ 37's avionics suite is its Ericsson PS-37A monopulse X-band radar, which is primarily focused on air-to-ground and navigation, though it has limited air-to-air capabilities. The rest of the avionics is impressive, or at least it was for its era, and includes:

Honeywell radar altimeter.

Decca Doppler navigation system.

A SATT RWR and countermeasures system.

A SAAB CK-37 miniaturized digital air data and nav/attack computer.

A Cutler-Hammer AIL microwave ILS receiver. The landing system was later upgraded to include an audio warning to tell the pilot if his approach was incorrect.

The AJ 37 has seven stores pylons, including a centerline pylon; a pylon under each engine inlet; and two pylons on each wing outboard of the main landing gear. There is provision for a third outboard pylon under each wing. Maximum external load is 7,000 kilograms (15,400 pounds). An external fuel tank is almost always carried on the centerline pylon. It does not appear that any of the other pylons are ""wet"". Primary stores initially included:

Dumb bombs and unguided rocket pods. A typical bombload would be 16 120 kilogram (265 pound) fragmentation bombs plus a centerline tank, though arrangements of heavier bombs can be carried. The standard unguided rocket pod is the Bofors M70, which carries six 135 millimeter (5.3 inch) rockets. These rockets can be fitted with high-explosive or fragmentation warheads and the AJ 37 can carry four such pods, with two on the pylons under the inlets and one on each wing.

The SAAB Rb-04 solid-fuel antiship missile. ""Rb"" stands for ""Robot"", indicating a guided missile.

The SAAB Rb-05 air-to-surface missile (ASM), a dartlike weapon somewhat along the lines of the US Bullpup ASM.

Although the AJ 37 has no built-in cannon armament, it can carry two cannon pods built by FFV of Sweden, each pod containing a single British-designed and license-built Aden 30 millimeter revolver-type cannon with 150 rounds.

For self-defense, the AJ 37 can carry Sidewinder short-range heat-seeking air-to-air missiles (AAMs), built under license in Sweden. Swedish Sidewinders were originally designated ""Rb-24"", originally equivalent to the AIM-9B and later the AIM-9J Sidewinder variants.

SAAB also manufactured the old Hughes AIM-4 Falcon AAM as the ""Rb-28"" and the Viggen could carry heat-seeking Falcons, but this weapon was obsolescent and gradually phased out. The AJ 37's radar system does not have the capabilities needed to control longer-range radar-guided missiles. The Sidewinder can be used on the AJ 37 because it is the missile's seeker itself that acquires a target, with a target lock indicated by a tone in the pilot's headphones.

Defensive countermeasures can be carried as well, including an Ericcson EriJammer 200 jammer pod and a Philips / Bofors BOX-9 (AKA BOZ-100) chaff-flare pod.

As mentioned, the Viggen was designed to be easy to maintain. It has over 100 access panels, with the nose cone sliding forward to give access to the radar system, and the rear fuselage can be quickly pulled off to give access to the engine. Most of the access panels can be reached without use of a ladder or service scaffold. Systems are modular to ease servicing and upgrades. A ""built-in test system"" was integrated into the aircraft, with specialized servicing vehicles produced to help find and fix faults.

A total of 109 production AJ 37s was built, with the type equipping six squadrons. Although prototypes and early production aircraft flew in natural metal finish, in service AJ 37s are painted gray on the bottom and with a ""splinter"" camouflage scheme on top, featuring a four-color pattern of tan, light green, dark green, and dark blue. The Flygvapnet refers to this color scheme as ""fields and meadows"" and it is meant to help conceal the aircraft at their dispersed bases. All Viggen variants except the JA 37 interceptor feature this color scheme.

There were a number of losses of AJ 37s in 1974 and 1975 due to wing spar failures. As it turned out, the first 27 machines had been built with lighter wing spars, and the 21 survivors were rebuilt with stronger spars. Oddly, though the Viggen is easier to fly than the Draken, the Viggen's accident rate has been higher. One interesting accident took place on 28 September 1982, when a pilot was taking off from Norrkoeping and suddenly encountered a herd of elk that had wandered onto the runway. There was a collision with one of the elk, with the aircraft suffering minor damage while the elk ended up as venison. One wonders if the pilot was at least tempted to put a ""kill marking"" on his machine.

In the early 1990s, a decision was made to update a number of AJ 37s and some other Viggen variants to the ""AJS 37"" multirole configuration, of which more is said later. The last operational flight of a true AJ 37 was in March 2000.

The fighter version of the Viggen - system, JA 37, was the last piece to add to this system. The development started in the early 1970's. It made its maiden voyage on 27. September 1974.

The first serial produced copy of JA 37 was 37301. It flew for the first time on 4th of November 1977 and was taken out of service only some years before the Viggens were replaced. This aircraft was used as a test aircraft, for example to test a composite fin.

The radar of the JA 37, Ericsson PS-46/A, is a puls-doppler and can follow several targets at the same time.

JA 37 have been modified at a few times. For example one  modification, Edit 33, made JA 37 able to carry the AMRAAM-missile. The reason to this is of course that AMRAAM have been chosen as a standard weapon for the Gripen-system.

Several of the JA 37 have gone through a Mid-Life-Upgrade. These aircraft are now called JA37D. A few of these have been modified to DI-standard, so that they can be used on international missions.

The first aircraft was delivered to F13 Norrköping in 1980.

JA 37 was upgraded at several stages during its service.

Some of the changes were:

The radar PS-46/A got the possibility to track more targets.

Mod C: PS-46/A got better protection against electronic countermeasures and other minor upgrades.

Mod D: Introduction of TARAS, capability of carrying U95 and RB 99 AMRAAM. Opportunity for PS-46/A to simulate enemies.

Mod DI (D+) : Second phase in mod D-pacakge. Adjusted for abroad service (for example PFP missions), one of the last upågrades before the Viggen family was entirely decomissioned.

The last Viggen to fly was a JA37 in the first years of the 21th century!

This shows the capability of that aircraft platform.

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Gripen:

The Gripen (Griffin/Gryphon) multi-role fighter aircraft, developed by Saab, was first flown in December 1988 and entered operational service with the Swedish Air Force in 1997. It is planned that the Gripen will replace all current variants of the Viggen and Draken combat aircraft. Gripen has been developed by an industrial consortium consisting of Saab, Ericsson Microwave Systems, Volvo Aero Corporation, Saab Avionics and FFV Aerotech. A joint venture company, Gripen International, has been set up by Saab and BAE Systems to market the Gripen for export markets. BAE Systems is building the main landing gear unit and wing attachment unit.

JAS 39A is the single-seater version of the Gripen. A two-seater JAS 39B operational trainer variant of Gripen is available. The JAS 39B is equipped with the same avionics and weapons suite as the JAS 39A, with the exception of the gun. JAS 39C is the single seat Batch 3 and export standard version, which was first delivered to the Swedish Air Force in September 2002. JAS 39C has colour cockpit displays, on-board oxygen generation system (OBOGS) and in-flight refuelling capabilty. JAS 39D will be a similarly upgraded two seater.

The Swedish Air Force has ordered 204 Gripen (including 28 of the two-seater version) for two operational squadrons, with deliveries continuing till 2007. In November 1998, the South African Air Force ordered 28 Gripen multi-role aircraft (19 single-seat and nine dual-seat). Denel Aviation of South Africa will produce part of the centre fuselage. First flight was in November 2005 and deliveries are to begin in 2008. In November 2001, Hungary signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the lease of 14 aircraft - 12 JAS 39A single-seat and two JAS 39B. In February 2003, Sweden and Hungary signed an amendment to the lease contract and both the single seated and the twin seated aircraft will be upgraded to C and D standard. The amendment also says that Hungary will purchase the aircraft after the lease period. Deliveries will begin in 2006.

In June 2004, the Czech Republic signed a leasing agreement with the Swedish Government for 14 new Gripen (12 single-seat JAS 39C and two two-seat JAS 39D) for a period of ten years. The aircraft were delivered between April and August 2005.

The cockpit is equipped with a Saab Avionics EP-17 electronic display suite, with three multifunction displays and a wide-angle, 22x28 degree diffraction head-up display. The central head-down display provides tactical data superimposed on a computer-generated map. The displays on the left and right provide the flight data and the target data from the sensor suites.

BAE Systems and Saab Aerospace, with Denel Cumulus of South Africa, have developed an Integrated Helmet-Mounted Display System for the Gripen, known as Cobra. The IHMD is a development of the Striker helmet developed for the Eurofighter Typhoon. Cobra will equip the Gripen for South Africa.

The time-critical systems controls (for example, weapons and communications) are grouped on the throttle and control stick for hands-on throttle and stick (HADES) operation. The flight control system is a triplex digital fly-by-wire system from BAE Astronics and Lockheed Martin.

The Gripen has seven external hardpoints for carrying payloads: one at each wingtip, two under each wing and one on the fuselage centreline.

The air-to-air missiles include MBDA (formerly Matra BAe Dynamics) MICA, Raytheon AIM-120B AMRAAM and Lockheed Martin/Raytheon Sidewinder AIM-9L (Swedish Air Force Designation RB74). Sidewinder, mounted on the wingtips, is an all-aspect attack, short-range missile for enhanced dogfight capability. Air-to-surface missiles include the radar-guided Saab RBS15F anti-ship missile and Raytheon Maverick missile. Later versions of the aircraft for Sweden will be armed with the short-range Diehl BGT Defence IRIS-T air-to-air missile and the MBDA Meteor Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile. Deliveries of IRIS-T began in December 2005. Meteor is due to enter service in 2010. The Saab Bofors/MBDA Taurus KEPD 350 long-range standoff missile, with a range of 350km, has been successfully flight tested on the Gripen.

The internally mounted 27mm Mauser high-energy gun can operate in an automatic radar-guided aiming mode. The stand-off dispenser is the DWF39 from EADS (formerly DaimlerChrysler Aerospace) and Bofors. The Bofors ARAK 70 rocket pod is cleared for carriage on the Gripen.

Saab Avionics is responsible for the EWS 39 electronic warfare suite, which has been ordered by the Swedish Air Force. EWS 39 is an integrated EW system that provides radar warning, electronic support measures and chaff and flare decoy dispensers.

The Ericsson PS-05 long-range multi-purpose pulse Doppler radar has air-to air operating modes covering long-range search, multi-target track-while-scan, multiple priority target tracking, air combat quick search modes, raid assessment and beyond visual range (BVR) missile mid-course updates. The air-to-surface modes include long-range search/target identification, multiple priority target tracking, high-resolution, real beam mapping, air-to-surface ranging and Doppler beam sharpening (DBS).

The aircraft is equipped with a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensor and will have the Saab IR-Otis infrared search and track system (IRST).

Nine Swedish Air Force Gripens are being fitted with the SaabTech Modular Reconnaissance Pod, which includes a Recon/Optical CA270 infrared sensor. The system will enter service in 2006.

The aircraft has VHF/UHF transmitters and receivers from SaabTech Vectronics, and a Thales TSC 2000 identification friend or foe (IFF) system. An air-to-air data link allows real-time exchange of tactical data within and between co-operating air units. In the attack and reconnaissance role, the data link allows radar-derived surface data to be transferred from one Gripen to a group of radar-silent attacking aircraft.

The RM12engine, supplied by Volvo Aero, is a development of the GE F404 engine from General Electric. A digital engine control system automatically monitors the engine parameters and automatically switches on the back-up systems if required. A condition monitoring system registers the flight data. The air-to-air refuelling probe is retracted into the aircraft to retain the aerodynamic profile. The longer flight times achieved by using air-to-air refuelling results in the pilot needing a larger oxygen supply, so an on-board oxygen generating system (OBOGS) has been installed.

The Swedish SAAB JAS-39 Gripen is today in 2007 the worlds most advanced and modern fighter available for export in the whole world!

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For pictures of the aircraft just google their names!

For more information and pictures of Gripen, visist gripen.com

Attached files
henrychalder
Posts: 154
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2007 6:27 am

5th Generation fighters.

Post by henrychalder »

Its been a long time since I looked at the latest capabilities of fighter planes but you surprise me that you say the most advanced fighter is a SAAB with all the research America has invested in fighter plane technology.

I would imagine the latest and most secret development of the fighter would be an unmanned fighter with a rocket pulse engine, the most aero dynamic shape for a high speed fighter is saucer shaped?

Or would that be regarded as 6th generation?
Arnbjorn
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 11:44 am

5th Generation fighters.

Post by Arnbjorn »

Scrat;673729 wrote: The Grippen is a very advanced aircraft, not so much in tech as it is in capability. Off the shelf gear can be used in many different ways, to many different ends. SAAB builds superb aircraft, comparable to anything America can produce in quantity. If not better in ways.


Exactly...and US pilots at Red Flag were actually very impressed by the situational awareness that you get in a Gripen.

As we all know beeing a fighter pilot today requires alot more information from an almost overwhelming number of input sources registered by various technical instruments that you are supposed to master at the same time as you are in control of an aeroplane flying at Mach 2+ and 30000ft over the ground.

This puts much pressure on the pilot and when you have to respond to something and react almost instantly to it with the correct action, the situational awareness is crucial, no matter how high, fast and far you can go or how much ammunition your type of fighter can carry. So I will rephrase my earlier post to say that I see Gripen as todays most advanced fighter system already in operation and available for export.
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