Sweden's Gripen Fighter Packs A Lot Of Punch

The first serial production standard Gripen E (6002) first flew in November 2019. Jamie Hunter 

Warzone/The Drive: Sweden's Bigger Badder Gripen Fighter Packs A Lot Of Punch In An Incredibly Efficient Package 

Sweden took an evolutionary approach for its next fighter, carefully picking the features that would make it not just relevant, but also affordable. 

For a country with a population of just over 10 million people, it’s impressive that Sweden is able to maintain an indigenous fighter aircraft program that is first and foremost designed to meet a domestic need. The Saab Gripen is a small and versatile fighter that meets a very specific Swedish requirement, but its mantra of being “affordable” doesn’t mean it compromises on lethality. In fact, the latest Gripen E variant includes features that could help to inspire others’ future fighter plans. 

The Gripen E might look and feel much the same as previous models of the fighter, but it’s such a significant advance that manufacturer Saab even considered giving it a totally new name. The E-Series, as it is now dubbed, builds on the lineage of the original Gripen A single-seat and B two-seat variants. The Gripen C/D is its direct predecessor, and although the single-seat E-model looks externally very similar to its forebears — it’s a very different beast in several ways. 

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WNU Editor: A good review on Saab's Gripen fighter jet.

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