The Saab JAS 39 Gripen (Gripen is called on German "seizes") is a single-seat, Swedish hunt and combat aircraft (JAS stands for Jakt, Attack och Spaning, i.e. hunt, attack and investigation). Of Sweden again and again strict neutrality out with the development of combat aircraft remarkable jets brought - of the Saab 35 Draken over the Saab 37 Viggen up to the current generation - the JAS 39 Gripen. There this provides for a country with only 8.5 million inhabitants an impressing achievement. The airplane of Saab in the Swedish is built. The majority of the airplane is manufactured in Sweden. The remainder originates mainly from European companies, some parts however also from the USA and South Africa.

Gripen is the first airplane of the fourth generation. It is appropriate for the hard winter employment also by auxiliary runways, motorways and dirty roads. Besides Gripen fulfills the demands after high reliability, simplest maintenance (partially by people liable for military service) and universal employment. Rollout was on 26 February 1987 - the first flight followed on 9 December 1988. Five prototypes were built and tested Gripen was placed 1993 by the Swedish Air Force (Flygvapnet) on the air base of first into the service.

A two-seat version for training and employment exists meanwhile also. Sweden ordered in the meantime 204 machines (inclusive 28 two-seaters). Further Gripen in South Africa (32 machines) is, to find Hungary (16 machines) and Tschechien (16 machines).

Considerable international aerial engagement experts estimate Gripen as the presumed best fighter, which was built of a non-aligned state. This estimate is based particularly on the relatively small weight, to the large maximum flight altitude also in anyway already cold regions of the world and the agility of the machine. In particularly cold weather it does not let bring after comparatively short glow phase rapidly into air, also on difficult soil conditions is taking off and the landing a larger problem for experienced pilots. Since an acquisition for Sweden counted itself clearly only with the production of a high number of items over 200, so far 64 copies were sold to other at that time likewise still non-aligned states such as South Africa or Hungary.

Largest competitor on the international jet military plane market is the US-American F-16.

Crash altogether since 1989 four Saab Gripen fell.

• 1. In February 1989, the first type of pro crashed with the landing.
• 2. In August 1993 a Gripen falls in Stockholm/long cross-beams. Pilot steps out by ejection seat, only arm break.
• 3. In September 1993 a Gripen of the Airwing-7 falls into a lake. Pilot steps out by ejection seat.
• 4: In June 2005 crash of a Gripen of the Airwing F-17. Pilot steps out by ejection seat.

Technical data

See also

• List of types of aircraft

Related links

• GRIPEN
• Photo of the Saab Gripen
• JAS 39 Gripen updates
• Crash Stockholm

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