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From: urbanf@yj.data.nokia.fi (Urban Fredriksson)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: JAS 39 Gripen
Message-ID: <1991Feb8.020302.20296@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 8 Feb 91 02:03:02 GMT
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 53
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: urbanf@yj.data.nokia.fi  (Urban Fredriksson)

>From: Kjell E. Grotland <GO5@PSUVM.PSU.EDU>

   How the Saab Gripen compares with other combat aircraft, in short:

   It's small, lightweight, true multirole, requires
   runways of only 400 m and will be serviced from dispersed
   sites by a small team of conscripts with only a
   few months of training.

   Length 14 m; span 8 m; normal take-off weight 8 tons.
 
   The engine (a locally modified F-404) gives about
   8 tons of force, which gives a thrust/weight ratio
   of about the same as any modern fighter. At 10-12%
   instability it's more instable that for example
   F-16 and Mirage 2000 (4%).

   No official reliable performance figures has been 
   released yet, but we know it's designed for 9G turns.
   It's estimated this will give an initial turning rate
   of 36 deg/s an a sustained of 17 deg/s.

   Contrary to many other modern aircraft it's not designed
   for long range, which gives a performance advantage for
   the same payload.

   Armament: One 27 mm Mauser, 2 wingtip Sidewinders.
   The rest depends on the mission. For example:
   Anti-shipping -     2 Rb 15F (large, > 100 km range)
   Air defence   -     4 medium-long range missiles
                       (Could be AMRAAM, MICA or Active SkyFlash)
   Ground attack -     DWS 39 (glide bomb with submunitions)
                       rockets, bombs, missiles (Maverick?)
                       and possibly a new heavy, guided weapon
                       (=glide bomb?)
   Reconnaissance -    Camera/IR-linescan pods

   The first into service will replace AJ 37 Viggens (the
   attack version) since the oldest were delivered in 1972.
   The last JA 37 Viggen was deliverd last year, so the
   choice of air-to-air missile can wait a few years.  

   Lastly: JAS 39 Gripen. JAS is an acronym for Fighter/Attack/
   Reconnaissance, 39 is the type number, Gripen = Griffon/Gryphon 

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