JAS39A
| This page is about the Swedish jet fighter JAS39A. For other versions, see SAAB 39 Gripen (Family). |
Contents
Description
The JAS39A Gripen is a Swedish multirole fighter that entered service in 1996 to replace the aging JA37D and AJS37 for the Swedish air force. The JAS39A is developed by SAAB and was designed to carry out tasks such as defending Swedish airspace, engaging with hostile ground targets, and reconnaissance missions.
The JAS39A was introduced in Update "Air Superiority" as top rank jet fighter for Sweden, able to fight toe to toe with MiG-29s and F-16s on more even terms than the preceding JA37D. The JAS39A can be equipped with different types of anti-air missiles for air engagements, but also does come with different bomb loadouts making it able to be used in a ground supporting role, giving it a multirole ability to engage a variety of enemies. The JAS39A handles differently than its predecessor JA37D, but will be more similar to the F-16 that some may be used to.
General info
Flight performance
Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.
| Characteristics | Max speed (km/h at 11,000 m) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
| Stock | 2,175 | 2,138 | 14500 | 24.1 | 24.1 | 207.3 | 194.7 | 500 |
| Upgraded | 2,306 | 2,240 | 23.9 | 24.0 | 285.8 | 245.0 | ||
Details
| Features | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat flaps | Take-off flaps | Landing flaps | Air brakes | Arrestor gear | Drogue chute |
| X | X | X | ✓ | X | X |
| Limits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wings (km/h) | Gear (km/h) | Flaps (km/h) | Max Static G | |||
| Combat | Take-off | Landing | + | - | ||
| 1,470 | 620 | - | - | - | ~12 | ~5 |
| Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
| < 519 | < 700 | < 1,470 | - |
Engine performance
| Engine | Aircraft mass | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine name | Number | Basic mass | Wing loading (full fuel) | ||||
| Svenska Flygmotor RM12 | 1 | 6,865 kg | 307 kg/m2 | ||||
| Engine characteristics | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) | Max Gross Weight | |||||
| Weight (each) | Type | 9m fuel | 20m fuel | 30m fuel | 32m fuel | ||
| 1,054 kg | Afterburning low-bypass turbofan | 7,567 kg | 8,308 kg | 9,032 kg | 9,205 kg | 13,906 kg | |
| Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB) | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP) | ||||||
| Condition | 100% | WEP | 9m fuel | 20m fuel | 30m fuel | 32m fuel | MGW |
| Stationary | 5,100 kgf | 7,528 kgf | 0.99 | 0.91 | 0.83 | 0.82 | 0.54 |
| Optimal | 5,100 kgf (0 km/h) |
10,918 kgf (1,250 km/h) |
1.44 | 1.31 | 1.21 | 1.19 | 0.79 |
Survivability and armour
Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.
Modifications and economy
| Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Armaments
| Ballistic Computer | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCIP (Guns) | CCIP (Rockets) | CCIP (Bombs) | CCRP (Bombs) | Lead indicator |
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Offensive armament
The JAS39A is armed with:
- 1 x 27 mm Akan m/85 cannon, belly-mounted (120 rpg)
- 80 x large calibre countermeasures
Suspended armament
The JAS39A can be outfitted with the following ordnance:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 kg m/71 bombs | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |||||
| 277 kg GBU-12 Paveway II bombs | 1† | 1† | 1† | 1† | |||||
| 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |||||
| 500 lb Mk 82 Snakeye bombs | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |||||
| 957 kg GBU-10 Paveway II bombs | 1† | 1† | |||||||
| 1,092 lb GBU-16 Paveway II bombs | 1† | 1† | 1† | 1† | |||||
| 2,000 lb GBU-24 Paveway III bombs | 1† | 1† | |||||||
| psrak m/70 rockets | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | |||||
| RB71 missiles | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| RB 74 missiles | 1 | 1* | 1* | 1* | 1* | 1 | |||
| RB 74(M) missiles | 1 | 1* | 1* | 1* | 1* | 1 | |||
| RB 75 missiles | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Countermeasures | 160* | 160* | 160* | 160* | |||||
| LITENING II targeting pod | 1† | ||||||||
| 1,100 l drop tanks | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 1,250 kg | |||||||||
| * Countermeasures can be equipped with RB 74 missiles on the same hardpoint † LITENING II pod must be equipped when equipping guided bombs | |||||||||
| Default weapon presets | |
|---|---|
| |
Usage in battles
Gripens needs to be played in one way which is very different from all the other top-tier jets. The JAS39A has an underwhelming radar-guided missile out of all its opponents, meaning it will not play ever in BVR engagements, since it will always end up loosing. Instead, the Gripen shines in the furballs, where the chaos prevents anyone from being totally aware of its surroundings. There, it can use its two best assets: the RB 74(M) (a Swedish Version of the AIM-9M ) and the nearly-unlimited flares loadout the plane can carry. When approaching the danger zone, activate the automatic countermeasure release, set to cycle 1 sec with 0.5 sec between each release and 2 releases per cycle. You have about 4:30 minutes of pure adrenaline before you run out of flares (using flares and chaff should half the time, but sticking to the deck makes radar-guided missiles easily dodgeable). Now the player can pay less (not none) attention to their surroundings and focus on launching the RB 74(M) missiles. Do not focus too much on one target, lock on with radar so the missile won't go for the flares during the lock-on phase and prefer targets that are showing you their side: this way even if they flare the missile will be less likely to notice the flares at all. The Gripen is also a good dogfighter, use the air brake until you get into the 700-850 km/h, that way you will pull like a monster.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- High speed; good acceleration gets you back in the fight after losing speed in turns or climbs
- Extreme manoeuvrability - currently possibly the most agile fighter in the game, outturns even F-16s!
- High amount of countermeasures available; a total of 720 when carrying four BOL rails on the wings
- Well balanced loadouts available, ranging from dumb bombs and rockets to F&F AGMs and laser guided bombs
- Helmet mounted sight lets the pilot slew both IR missile seekers as well as the radar onto off-bore targets
- Access to very competitive RB74(M) missiles which are highly resistant to flares
Cons:
- Prone to tear off wings at high speed; its high agility may result in over-G breaking the plane apart with reckless manoeuvring
- Mediocre radar missiles; very short range compared to the AIM-7Ms and R-27ERs carried by contemporaries
- Low ammo count for a relatively rapid firing cannon
- Canard-delta design combined with its tiny size means that any hit is likely to cause critical damage to your flight surfaces
History
In the late 1970s, Sweden sought to replace its aging Saab 35 Draken and Saab 37 Viggen. The Swedish Air Force required an affordable Mach 2 aircraft with good short-field performance for a defensive dispersed basing plan in the event of invasion; the plan included 800 m long by 17 m wide rudimentary runways that were part of the Bas 90 system. One goal was for the aircraft to be smaller than the Viggen while equalling or improving on its payload-range characteristics. Early proposals included the Saab 38, also called B3LA, intended as an attack aircraft and trainer, and the A 20, a development of the Viggen that would have capabilities as a fighter, attack and sea reconnaissance aircraft. Several foreign designs were also studied, including the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, the Northrop F-20 Tigershark and the Dassault Mirage 2000. Ultimately, the Swedish government opted for a new fighter to be developed by Saab.
In 1979, the government began a study calling for a versatile platform capable of "JAS", standing for Jakt (air-to-air), Attack (air-to-surface), and Spaning (reconnaissance), indicating a multirole, or swingrole, fighter aircraft that could fulfill multiple roles during the same mission. Several Saab designs were reviewed, the most promising being "Project 2105" (redesignated "Project 2108" and, later, "Project 2110"), recommended to the government by the Defence Materiel Administration (Försvarets Materielverk, or FMV). In 1980, Industrigruppen JAS (IG JAS, "JAS Industry Group") was established as a joint venture by Saab-Scania, LM Ericsson, Svenska Radioaktiebolaget, Volvo Flygmotor and Försvarets Fabriksverk, the industrial arm of the Swedish armed forces.
The preferred aircraft was a single-engine, lightweight single-seater, embracing fly-by-wire technology, canards, and an aerodynamically unstable design. The powerplant selected was the Volvo-Flygmotor RM12, a licence-built derivative of the General Electric F404−400; engine development priorities were weight reduction and lowering component count. On 30 June 1982, with approval from the Riksdag, the FMV issued contracts worth SEK 25.7 billion to Saab, covering five prototypes and an initial batch of 30 production aircraft. By January 1983, a Viggen was converted to a flying test aircraft for the JAS 39's intended avionics, such as the fly-by-wire controls. The JAS 39 received the name Gripen (griffin) via a public competition, which is the heraldry on Saab's logo.
During the late 90s, Sweden also acquired American AIM 120 (or Rb99 as they were called in Sweden), so a small modification was added that let the Gripen be able to handle the Fox 3 missiles, the same system was later integrated in the JA37 which made the JA37D, a modernised fighter which were able to use the Rb99
Media
- Videos
See also
Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the series of the aircraft;
- links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
| Swedish Aeroplane Company Ltd. (SAAB) | |
|---|---|
| Pre-SAAB: SA / ASJA | |
| SA 'Jaktfalken' | J6B |
| SAAB 17 | B17A · B17B · S17BS |
| SAAB 18 | B18A · B18B · T18B · T18B (57) |
| SAAB 21 | J21A-1 · J21A-2 · A21A-3 · J21RA · A21RB |
| SAAB 29 'Tunnan' | J29A · A29B · J29D · J29F |
| SAAB 32 'Lansen' | J32B · A32A · A32A Röd Adam |
| SAAB 35 'Draken' | J35A · J35D |
| SAAB 37 'Viggen' | JA37C · JA37D · JA37DI · JA37DI F21 · AJ37 · AJS37 |
| SAAB 39 'Gripen' | JAS39A · JAS39C |
| SAAB 105 | SK60B · SAAB-105G |
| License Production | B3C (Ju 86K) |
| Export | SAAB-105OE · J35XS · ▄JAS39C · ◔JAS39EBS HU C |
| Sweden jet aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Fighters | J21RA |
| J29A · A29B · J29D · J29F | |
| J32B | |
| J34 | |
| J35A · J35D | |
| JA37C · JA37D · JA37DI · JA37DI F21 | |
| JAS39A · JAS39C | |
| Strike aircraft | A21RB |
| A32A · A32A Röd Adam | |
| A28B | |
| AJ37 · AJS37 | |
| SK60B · SAAB-105G | |
| Export | SAAB-105OE |
| Finland | ▄Vampire FB 52A · ▄MiG-21bis · Saab J35XS |
