JAS 39 Gripen
JAS 39 Gripen
Role:
Single-seat all-weather, all-altitude interceptor,
attack and reconnaissance aircraft.
DESIGN FEATURES:
Intended to replace AJ/SH/SF/JA/AJS versions of Saab
Viggen, in that order, and remaining J 35 Drakens;
partners are Saab Military Aircraft, Ericsson Radar
Electronics, Volvo Flygmotor and FFV Aerotech; to
operate from 800 m (2,625 ft) Swedish V90 road strips;
simplified maintenance and quick turnround with
groundcrew comprising one technician and five
conscripts.
Delta wing with squared tips for missile rails has
approximately 45o leading-edge sweepback; independently
movable foreplanes have leading-edge sweep of
approximately 43o.
LANDING GEAR:
AP Precision Hydraulics retractable tricycle gear,
single mainwheels retracting hydraulically forward into
fuselage; steerable twin-wheel nose unit retracts
rearward. Goodyear wheels and tyres. Carbon disc brakes
and ABS anti-skid units. Nosewheel braking. Entire gear
designed for high rate of sink.
POWER PLANT:
One General Electric/Volvo Flygmotor RM12 (F404-GE-400)
turbofan, rated initially at approximately 54 kN
(12,140 lb st) dry and 80.5 kN (18,100 lb st) with
afterburning. Near-rectangular intakes, each with
splitter plate. Fuel in integral tanks in fuselage and
wings. Intertechnique fuel management system.
ACCOMMODATION:
Pilot only in JAS 39A, on Martin-Baker S10LS zero/zero
ejection seat. Hinged canopy (opening sideways to port)
and one-piece windscreen by Lucas Aerospace. Two seats
in tandem in JAS 39B; command sequence in two-seat
aircraft ejects rear occupant first, simultaneously
inflating an air bag between the two cockpits to
protect the front pilot from Perspex splinters.
AVIONICS:
Comms: CelsiusTech dual VHF/UHF transceivers and IFF.
Retrofit planned with tactical radio systems (TARAS).
Radar: Ericsson/GMAv PS-05/A multimode pulse
Doppler target search and acquisition
(lookdown/shootdown) radar (weight 156 kg; 344 lb). For
fighter missions, system provides fast target
acquisition at long range; search and multitarget
track-while-scan; quick scanning and lock-on at short
ranges; and automatic fire control for missiles and
cannon. In attack and reconnaissance roles, operating
functions are search against sea and ground targets;
mapping, with normal and high resolution; and
navigation.
Flight: Ericsson SDS 80 central computing system
(D80 computer, Pascal/D80 high order language and
programming support environment; upgraded D80E computer
flown mid-1994 and introduced from 39.108); three
MIL-STD-1553B databuses, one of which links flight
data, navigation, flight control, engine control and
main systems; Honeywell laser INS and radar altimeter;
Nordmicro air data computer. BAe three-axis strapdown
gyromagnetic unit provides standby attitude and heading
information.
Instrumentation: Ericsson EP-17 electronic display
system, incorporating Kaiser wide-angle HUD and using
advanced diffraction optics to combine symbology and
video images; PP1 or PP2 display processors (PP12 in
Production Lot 2 for colour imagery); three Ericsson
CRT HDDs. Left-hand (flight data) HDD normally replaces
all conventional flight instruments; central display
shows computer generated map of area surrounding
aircraft with tactical information superimposed;
right-hand CRT is a multisensor display showing
information on targets acquired by radar, FLIR and
weapon sensors. Minimum of conventional analog
instruments for back-up only.
Mission: FLIR pod, carried under starboard air
intake trunk, forward of wing leading-edge, for attack
and reconnaissance missions at night, providing heat
picture of target on right-hand HDD.
Self-defence: Radar warning equipment; CelsiusTech
countermeasures, including chaff/flare and jamming.
Mission: RHWR.
ARMAMENT:
Internally mounted 27 mm Mauser BK27 automatic cannon
in port side of lower front fuselage and two
wingtip-mounted Rb74 (AIM-9L) Sidewinder infra-red AAMs
standard. (No internal gun in JAS 39B.) Five other
external hardpoints (two under each wing and one on
centreline) for short- and medium-range air-to-air
missiles such as Rb74, Mica or AIM-120 AMRAAM;
air-to-surface missiles such as Rb75 (Maverick);
anti-shipping missiles such as Saab RBS 15F; DASA DWS
39 munitions dispenser; conventional or retarded bombs;
air-to-surface rockets; or external fuel tanks.
Aircraft Measures:
Wing span:8.40 m (27 ft 6{3/4} in)
Length overall:
JAS 39A: 14.10 m (46 ft 3 in)
JAS 39B: 14.755 m (48 ft 5 in)
Height overall: 4.50 m (14 ft 9 in)
Aircraft Performance:
Maximum Speed: supersonic at all altitudes