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.
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.
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 Stronger than 51% 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.
- 4,000 km Top 10% of fighters
- Combat radius
Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range.
- 1,500 km Stronger than 85% of fighters
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 16,000 m Stronger than 43% of fighters
- Thrust-to-weight
Engine thrust divided by loaded weight. Above 1.0 the aircraft can accelerate going straight up.
- 1.05 Stronger than 67% of fighters
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 Stronger than 64% 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.
- 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 Stronger than 49% of fighters
- 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 Stronger than 29% of fighters
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 60 Stronger than 20% of fighters
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 3 Stronger than 61% of fighters
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 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-22A Raptor
Dassault Aviation
Rafale F4
Lockheed Martin
F-35A Lightning II
Lockheed Martin