Gripen - The New Generation, Multi-Role Combat Aircraft

The Gripen Fighter Aircraft

Gripen is the first of the new generation, multi-role combat aircraft to enter service. Using the latest available technology it is capable of performing an extensive range of air-to-air and air-to-surface operational missions and employs the latest weapons.

Gripen is designed to meet the demands of current and future threats, while at the same time meeting strict requirements for flight safety, reliability, training efficiency and low operating costs.

Gripen is in service with the Swedish, Czech Republic and Hungarian Air Forces and has also been ordered by South Africa and Thailand. The UK Empire Test Pilots’ School (ETPS) is also operating Gripen as its advanced fast jet platform for test pilots worldwide.

Gripen was declared operational in the Swedish Air Force in 1997, which has 204 aircraft on order including 28 two seaters and where to date, 198 aircraft have been delivered operating in seven squadrons. Gripen is in full operational service with the Czech Republic Air Force, which has taken delivery of all of its 14 aircraft (12 single-seat and 2 two-seaters) to meet its national, European and NATO defence needs. Gripen is also in full operational service with the Hungarian Air Force, which has taken delivery of all of its 14 aircraft (12 single-seat and 2 two-seaters) to meet its national, European and NATO needs. The United Kingdom’s (UK) Empire Test Pilots´ School (ETPS) is also operating Gripen as its advanced fast jet platform for test pilots worldwide. South Africa, Gripen’s first export customer, has ordered a fleet of 26 aircraft (9 two-seat and 17 single seat aircraft) to replace its existing front-line aircraft. Deliveries of aircraft commence in March 2008 and will be completed by 2012. In October 2007, the government of Thailand approved the procurement of Gripen fighters to replace the Royal Thai Air Force’s ageing F-5 fleet, and in February 2008 Thailand and Sweden signed contracts for the supply of the initial 6 aircraft Gripen aircraft for the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF).

With the ability to switch operational roles in-flight, at the touch of a button, the Gripen fighter can meet the increasingly demanding multi-role requirements of the future battlefield.

The Gripen weapon system delivers total confidence in air defense and air superiority, with deadly close-in combat skills. At the same time, it possesses formidable offensive air support, anti-ship, reconnaissance and advanced tactical training capabilities.

A fully fused and integrated data flow, processed by all-digital systems, gives Gripen the power, intelligence and agility to fight the 'information war' - for the pilot as well as the commander - to the maximum operational effect.

Gripen incorporates the world's most developed datalink, which increases situation awareness and combat effectiveness while shortening the sensor-to-shooter loop to near real-time.

Gripen's design makes wide use of carbon-fiber composites and other new materials, advanced production technology, integrated computer systems, data fusion techniques and the latest aerodynamic concepts. The result is an aircraft with high levels of effectiveness in a wide range of roles, low acquisition costs, low support requirements and low operational and through-life costs.

Gripen provides high performance, outstanding maneuverability and fully integrated information and weapon systems for all air combat situations.

An unrivalled blend of simplicity and sophistication balances aircraft, sensor and weapons performance in combination with datalink, data fusion and an advanced human-machine interface to give outstanding situation awareness and unrivalled multi-role mission effectiveness.

A superior cockpit environment is built around the 'don't need, don't show' principle, that guarantees the pilot all the decision support needed for complex tactical operations, without the distraction of superfluous data.

Superior air-to-air combat capability at beyond visual range (BVR) is achieved through a combination of aircraft performance, modern sensor systems, the world´s most developed in-service tactical datalink and the capability to launch advanced active-radar BVR missiles. When combined with an inherent low-visual, low-radar and low infrared signature, this gives Gripen a decisive combat advantage over its competitors.

At closer ranges, Gripen´s combat capability is assured through the combination of its delta-canard configuration and relaxed stability. This gives excellent agility and high instantaneous turn rates during combat maneuvers. In addition to the radar´s close combat modes, a helmet-mounted display (HMD) can be used by Gripen pilots to cue the seekers of the latest agile short-range air-to-air missiles.

Control of the battlefield during air-to-surface operations calls for the aircraft to deal with a wide range of targets with a great variety of weapons. Gripen is cleared to carry a number of advanced weapons that are supremely effective over land and at sea. Gripen´s weapon system includes 'smart' precision munitions such as laser-guided bombs (LGBs) and their associated forward looking infra-red/laser designator pod (FLIR/LDP) targeting equipment. These advanced targeting sensors complement the dedicated air-to-surface radar modes and tactical datalink to give Gripen a flexible and effective precision attack capability.

Proven high availability, good maintainability and low support requirements allow a Gripen force to generate more sorties than any other aircraft in its class or, alternatively, to achieve the same level of operational tasking but with a smaller force.

This provides an effective force-multiplier during wartime (or whenever 'surge operations' are required) and ensures the cost of deploying Gripen away from its main base is the lowest of any aircraft of its class.

During operations from its main operating base and when on deployed operations, Gripen has a minimal requirement for ground support infrastructure and equipment.

The operational cost of Gripen is 50 per cent lower than any other aircraft in its class that is currently, or planned to be, in service. It is twice as reliable and easier to maintain than its competitors.

Gripen carries all the necessary weapons to meet today´s operational requirements and to enable full co-operation with friendly forces.

Its advanced weapon system enables future new-generation weapons to be easily integrated, countering tomorrow´s threats and meeting the needs of your nation.

Gripen offers an unrivalled mix of simplicity and sophistication with its flexible weapons system for any mission - easy-to-use for pilots and ground crew alike, but lethal to any opposing force.

On top of NATO requirements for collective defense and out-of-area operations, Gripen is ready to meet the demands of any operator, anywhere in the world.

The aircraft is cleared for the full spectrum of worldwide climatic conditions, it has the universal MIL-STD 1760 weapons interface, a secure and reliable communications fit for command and control and position reporting, a comprehensive navigation and IFF suite plus a fully functional air-to-air refueling capability using a retractable refueling probe.

Gripen is tailor-made for your operations. The ability to fly independently from normal road surfaces with minimal support makes Gripen the ideal weapon system for national and international operations - dispersed or not.

A major goal in designing the Gripen was to provide a quick, easy and flexible maintenance concept to meet today's challenging operational requirements. To achieve this, Gripen provides excellent inherent support attributes such as high reliability and 'testability', along with excellent maintainability and accessibility features for ground personnel.

The substantial body of in-service experience supports these facts and trends predict that the current figures will be improved.

Gripen is the most reliable multi-role combat aircraft available in the world today. Gripen operators can expect fewer failures, less maintenance down-time, and the lowest cost of support compared to any other aircraft in its class. This excellence also extends to maintainability and testability where Gripen's inherent design characteristics deliver not only the lowest-cost initial support package, but also the lowest through-life support costs.

This has been proven through a cost-estimation relationship model based on acquisition costs and key support parameters, such as mean-time-between failures and maintenance-man-hours per flying hour. Hard data, based on real experience, exists for Gripen from the stringent operational system evaluation program run by the Swedish Air Force.

Competitor data is obtained from public domain sources such as seminars, internet sites and contractor briefings.  The result shows Gripen’s operational costs are 50 per cent lower than its closest competitor. This is because Gripen is nearly twice as reliable, uses less fuel, is easier to repair, requires fewer personnel, fewer spares, less ground support equipment and less maintenance.

Gripen is designed to be 'care-free' in aircraft handling and very easy to fly. Because of this, the training system can be maximized for system usage (operational use) rather than pure flying training. Gripen´s modern training system enables safe, effective and efficient conversion-to-type training and is flexible enough to allow refresher training to be undertaken and for customers to develop a self-sustaining indigenous capability.

Gripen Will Remain at the Leading Edge of Technology for at Least 30 Years

Gripen is a truly international weapon system incorporating the latest technology from a team of major defense industries. As the newest generation of fighter in service today, it has been designed to maintain operational superiority against present and future threats by providing spare system capacity to incorporate new sensors, avionics and weapons with ease.

The advanced design combined with a funded continuous technology insertion program, covering all major sensors, avionics, data communication, propulsion and self-protection systems, ensures Gripen will grow ahead of future threats to maintain and improve its operational superiority.

Sweden is committed to Gripen´s future. Export customers will also participate in Gripen´s long-term enhancement program, but - unlike other platforms - they are not solely dependant on their own finances to develop future enhancements. Gripen International, unlike other suppliers, includes all customers and operators in technical and support enhancement programs. Technology enhancements are developed and integrated in a planned time phased manner together with the operators. Together we can make a difference.

Aircraft data:

• Advanced aerodynamic combining a close coupled canard-delta configuration. 

• Lightweight structure employing advanced materials and construction techniques. 

• The world´s most highly developed data link. 

• Triplex, digital fly-by-wire Flight Control System for optimum combat agility.
  
• Advanced cockpit layout with large color Multi-Function Displays (MFDs) and Hands-On-Throttle-And-Stick (HOTAS) controls.
• Long range Ericsson PS-05/A multi-mode, pulse doppler radar.
• Powerful, fuel efficient, Volvo Aero Corporation RM12 turbofan engine.
• On Board Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS) and Air-to-Air Refueling (AAR).
• Low visual radar and Infra-Red (IR) signatures. 

• Heavy and varied weapons load covering all mission parameters - Air-to-Air, Air-to-Ground, Air-to-Sea, Reconnaissance and Advanced Tactical Training - an unrivalled mix of simplicity and sophistication.
• 50% lower operating costs than its best competitor.
•  “On-condition" maintenance. 

•  Capable of operating from simple road bases and dispersed bases with the minimum of maintenance personnel and ground support equipment.

Cockpit and Display System:  

The Gripen cockpit is dominated by three large, full color, Multi-Function Displays (MFDs) and a wide angle diffractive optics Head-Up Display (HUD) with a holographic combiner. A highly efficient human-machine interface has been integrated into the Gripen to substantially ease pilot workload, particularly in combat situations. This provides a Gripen pilot with outstanding situation awareness, ensuring unrivalled operational effectiveness. It also increases the time available for tactical decision-making allowing the pilot to use the aircraft and weapons system to maximum effect.

The main functions of each display are as follows:

• Head-Up Display (HUD) - providing FLIR imagery and weapon aiming information superimposed on the outside world at all altitudes.

• Flight Data Display (FDD) - provides flight data and system status information about the engine, fuel and external stores. 

• Horizontal Situation Display (HSD) - provides navigational and tactical mission data superimposed on an electronic map of selectable scale. 

• Multi-Sensor Display (MSD) - presents information from the radar, FLIR imagery and other sensors. Flight and fire control data are also superimposed.

The primary sensor of the Gripen target acquisition/weapons aiming system is the long range Ericsson PS-05/A radar. The Gripen radar is a compact, long-range, high performance multi-mode pulse doppler radar with a modular architecture and high reliability, offering high resolution, excellent look-down performance and good Electronic Counter-Counter Measures (ECCM) capabilities. Using state-of-the-art technology, including fully programmable signal and data processors, the radar is able to handle all types of air defence, air-to-surface and reconnaissance missions with built in growth potential to meet future requirements.

The Volvo Aero Corporation RM12 is a modular, fuel efficient, low bypass ratio afterburning turbofan in the 80 KN (18,000lb) thrust class. It is based on the General Electric F-404-400 which has attained several million flight hours in operations world wide - with several enhancements incorporated by Volvo including increased thrust and bird strike resistance.