Documents
Sweden Saab AB
JAS 39E Gripen
Lightweight single-engine multirole fighter designed for low life-cycle cost and rapid dispersed-basing operations from short roads and highway strips. The E/F generation adds a more powerful engine, AESA radar and greater fuel and weapons capacity over earlier Gripen C/D models.
In service since 2019 · 3 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-01
2,124
km/h
4,000
km range
16,000
m ceiling
5,300
kg payload
1.05
T/W
💲 ≈ $85,000,000, Approximate flyaway unit cost, export orders
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Swedish export-licensed
ISP licensing; EU/Wassenaar controls.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Limited · 3 operators
In service since 2019. Status: active · ~60 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$213M – $298M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price. How we estimate this →
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.
Overview
The Gripen E is Saab's answer to a question most air forces are only now asking: how do you stay survivable against modern Russian and Chinese sensors without the price tag of a stealth fleet? Rather than shaping the airframe for low observability, Saab bet on electronics, the fighter is built around one of the most capable electronic-warfare suites ever fitted to a single-engine jet, an AESA radar on a repositioner, and an IRST that lets it hunt passively. Its avionics are deliberately split between flight-critical and tactical software, so combat code can be rewritten in weeks rather than years.
The design philosophy is Swedish to the core: operate from dispersed road bases, turn around in ten minutes with a small conscript crew, and cost a fraction of rivals per flight hour. Paired with the very long-range Meteor missile, the Gripen E is meant to hit first from standoff distances and leave before the fight closes in.
The type jumped back into headlines on 30 June 2026, when Ukraine and Sweden finalised a landmark order for 16 newly built Gripen E fighters, Kyiv's first purchase of factory-new Western fighters and a decision watched closely by every mid-sized air force weighing stealth against sustainability.
Compatible munitions & weapons
Publicly reported weapons the JAS 39E Gripen can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.
Powerplant
The JAS 39E Gripen's engine has its own full spec page.
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. | 2,124 km/h |
|---|---|
| Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters. | 2 Mach |
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 4,000 km |
| Combat radius Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range. | 1,500 km |
| Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon. | 16,000 m |
| Thrust-to-weight Engine thrust divided by loaded weight. Above 1.0 the aircraft can accelerate going straight up. On a standalone engine record, this is the engine's own thrust divided by its dry weight, the standard figure of merit for jet engines. | 1.05 |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type. | 27 mm Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon |
|---|---|
| Hardpoints External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts. | 10 |
| Weapons payload Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie. | 5,300 kg |
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
| Countermeasures Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers. | Saab Arexis electronic warfare suite, chaff, flares, BOL countermeasure dispensers |
|---|
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 15.2 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span. | 8.6 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. | 8,000 kg |
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 16,500 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. | 1x General Electric F414G afterburning turbofan |
|---|---|
| Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost. | 1 |
| Thrust Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable). | 98 kN |
| Fuel capacity Internal fuel volume. | 3,400 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. | Leonardo Raven ES-05 AESA |
|---|---|
| Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights. | Skyward-G infrared search and track, Arexis EW suite, helmet-mounted display |
| Datalink Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement. | Link 16, TIDLS |
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. | $85,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability. | 60 |
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 3 |
Specifications compiled from public Saab AB and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-01.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor 
Dassault Aviation Rafale F4 Head-to-head comparisons
JAS 39E Gripen vs
J-20 
Su-57 
Eurofighter Typhoon 
KF-21 Boramae Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen? +
The Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen has a maximum speed of 2,124 km/h.
What is the range of the Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen? +
The Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen has a maximum range of 4,000 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen? +
The Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen can carry up to 5,300 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen weigh? +
The Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen has a combat weight of 16,500 kg.
How many crew does the Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen require? +
The Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen requires a crew of 1.
What is the main armament of the Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen? +
The Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen's primary weapon is the 27 mm Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon.
What engine does the Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen use? +
The Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen is powered by the 1x General Electric F414G afterburning turbofan.
What is the Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen used for? +
The Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen is a fighter aircraft typically used for multirole combat, air superiority, close air support, isr.
How many countries operate the Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen? +
The Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen is operated by 3 countries.
How much does the Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen cost? +
The Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen has an approximate unit cost of 85,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
Similar systems
Lockheed Martin
F-35B Lightning II
Saab AB
JAS 39C Gripen
Lockheed Martin
F-35C Lightning II
Lockheed Martin
F-35A Lightning II
Related coverage
JAS 39E Gripen in the news
Article guide · Jul 13, 2026
The 10 Best Fighter Jets of 2026, Ranked
A 10-to-1 countdown of the best fighter jets of 2026, ranked on real combat record, sensors, survivability and sustainment, not brochure numbers.
Article guide · Jul 7, 2026
Which Fighter Jet Has the Longest Combat Radius?
China's J-20 claims a 2,000 km fighter combat radius, but 8 of the 12 longest reaches in our database are unverified Chinese or Russian state claims.
Article buying · Jul 3, 2026
How Much Does a Fighter Jet Really Cost?
Fighter jet cost breakdown: flyaway price vs full lifecycle cost, why O&S eats 70% of the budget, and how the F-35 compares to rivals.
News digest · Jun 1, 2026
May 2026 in review: Ukraine's deadliest month, Oreshnik doubts
Ukraine logged its worst civilian toll in four years as Russia's Oreshnik hypersonic missile misfired, while Washington tripled Patriot output, cleared AI firms for classified work, and Sweden sealed a Gripen deal.