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Sweden Saab AB
JAS 39C Gripen
Lightweight single-engine multirole fighter designed for austere-base dispersed operations, predecessor to the newer Gripen E/F. The C/D generation added NATO interoperability, aerial refueling and export sales to Hungary, Czechia, South Africa and Thailand.
In service since 2003 · 5 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
2,205
km/h
3,200
km range
15,240
m ceiling
5,300
kg payload
0.97
T/W
💲 ≈ $30,000,000 — Approximate historical flyaway cost
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Swedish export-licensed
ISP licensing; EU/Wassenaar controls.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Established · 5 operators
In service since 2003. Status: active · ~247 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$75M – $105M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost — operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 2,205 km/h Stronger than 61% of fighters
- Max speed (Mach)
Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.
- 2 Mach Stronger than 57% of fighters
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 3,200 km Stronger than 54% of fighters
- Combat radius
Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range.
- 800 km Stronger than 38% of fighters
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 15,240 m Stronger than 32% of fighters
- Thrust-to-weight
Engine thrust divided by loaded weight. Above 1.0 the aircraft can accelerate going straight up.
- 0.97 Stronger than 38% of fighters
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 27 mm Mauser BK27 cannon
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 8 Stronger than 31% of fighters
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 5,300 kg Stronger than 27% of fighters
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
- Countermeasures
Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.
- BOL/BOP chaff-flare dispensers, internal EW self-protection suite
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 14.1 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 8.4 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 4.5 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 6,800 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 12,473 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 1
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- Volvo Aero RM12 afterburning turbofan
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 1
- Thrust
Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).
- 81 kN Stronger than 23% of fighters
- Fuel capacity
Internal fuel volume.
- 2,270 L
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turbofan
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Radar
Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.
- Ericsson PS-05/A pulse-Doppler radar
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $30,000,000 Stronger than 86% of fighters
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 247 Stronger than 53% of fighters
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 5 Stronger than 75% of fighters
Specifications compiled from public Saab AB and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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What is the top speed of the Saab AB JAS 39C Gripen? +
The Saab AB JAS 39C Gripen has a maximum speed of 2,205 km/h.
What is the range of the Saab AB JAS 39C Gripen? +
The Saab AB JAS 39C Gripen has a maximum range of 3,200 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Saab AB JAS 39C Gripen? +
The Saab AB JAS 39C Gripen can carry up to 5,300 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Saab AB JAS 39C Gripen weigh? +
The Saab AB JAS 39C Gripen has a combat weight of 12,473 kg.
How many crew does the Saab AB JAS 39C Gripen require? +
The Saab AB JAS 39C Gripen requires a crew of 1.
What is the main armament of the Saab AB JAS 39C Gripen? +
The Saab AB JAS 39C Gripen's primary weapon is the 27 mm Mauser BK27 cannon.
What engine does the Saab AB JAS 39C Gripen use? +
The Saab AB JAS 39C Gripen is powered by the Volvo Aero RM12 afterburning turbofan.
What is the Saab AB JAS 39C Gripen used for? +
The Saab AB JAS 39C Gripen is a fighter aircraft typically used for multirole combat, air superiority, close air support.
How many countries operate the Saab AB JAS 39C Gripen? +
The Saab AB JAS 39C Gripen is operated by 5 countries.
How much does the Saab AB JAS 39C Gripen cost? +
The Saab AB JAS 39C Gripen has an approximate unit cost of 30,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
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