July 22, 1402 at 22:40
Swedish fighter Saab Jas 39 Gripen – Saab Jas 39 Gripen is not as well known as it should be; But it was and is one of the best delta-wing fighter planes.
Good style and efficiency are two quality compones that are not easy to find in a technological product. But the design of delta wings on airplanes proved that it was possible. This triangular design not only gives an iconic look to the planes; Rather, it has aerodynamic advaages and makes them more agile. Swedish fighter Saab 39 Gripenis a good example.
The history and capabilities of the Swedish fighter Saab 39 Gripen
This warplane came out of the Swedish Bas 90 program. The Bass 90 was designed in the 1970s to allow the Swedish Air Force to conduct operations from small bases close together. The goal was to preve the widespread destruction of the coury’s warplanes if an attack occurred during the Cold War.
But for the plan to go well, a fighter jet with special capabilities was needed. The Saab Yas 39 Gripen was exactly what the Swedish Air Force waed: to be able to take off quickly from small, temporary bases when necessary.
To showcase this capability, Saab released a video in 2017 that showed a Gripen C fighter jet taking off and landing on a road. This road was 800 meters long and 16 meters wide. While the airport runway is usually 45 meters wide.
By the way, this fighter still has some parts and equipme of the first generation Gripen. Its main weapon is the Mauser BK-27 gun moued on the fro of the aircraft; But it is also possible to equip it with several small and large missiles. Propulsion from the Volvo RM-12 engine provides the necessary maneuverability while maiaining corollability.
Either way, you won’t find a better fighter for Cold War Sweden than the Gripen. Of course, in those tense years, Sweden did not suffer the military attack of the enemy; But this does not mean that the developme of the Gripen fighter under the Bas 90 program was a waste of time. This bird served the air force of several other couries, including Thailand and Hungary.
The Gripen family coinues to evolve. In 2022, Saab signed a coract with the Swedish Defense Industry Organization to modernize and produce the new generation of this fighter. The value of this coract is equivale to 3.2 billion dollars and is valid uil 2029.
The manufacturing company iends to upgrade Gripen’s weapons, engine, sensors and communication facilities; Something that will keep it reliable and competitive.
