JAS 39E Gripen

Lightweight single-engine multirole fighter designed for low life-cycle cost and rapid dispersed-basing operations from short roads and highway strips. The E/F generation adds a more powerful engine, AESA radar and greater fuel and weapons capacity over earlier Gripen C/D models.

Max speed

2,124 km/h

Range

4,000 km

Payload

5,300 kg

💲 Approximate flyaway unit cost, export orders

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.: 2,124 km/h

42th pct in class
Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.: 2 Mach

33th pct in class
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 4,000 km

83th pct in class
Combat radius Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range.: 1,500 km

58th pct in class
Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.: 16,000 m

33th pct in class
Thrust-to-weight Engine thrust divided by loaded weight. Above 1.0 the aircraft can accelerate going straight up.: 1.05

42th pct in class

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 27 mm Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon
Hardpoints External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.: 10

17th pct in class
Weapons payload Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.: 5,300 kg

8th pct in class

Protection

Armor, countermeasures and survivability.

Countermeasures Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.: Saab Arexis electronic warfare suite, chaff, flares, BOL countermeasure dispensers

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 15.2 m
Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span.: 8.6 m
Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.: 4.5 m
Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.: 8,000 kg
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 16,500 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 1

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Engine Powerplant model and type.: 1x General Electric F414G afterburning turbofan
Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.: 1
Thrust Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).: 98 kN

17th pct in class
Fuel capacity Internal fuel volume.: 3,400 L
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: Turbofan

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.: Leonardo Raven ES-05 AESA
Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.: Skyward-G infrared search and track, Arexis EW suite, helmet-mounted display
Datalink Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement.: Link 16, TIDLS

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.: $85,000,000

36th pct in class
Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 60

25th pct in class
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 3

42th pct in class

Specifications compiled from public Saab AB and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-01.

Frequently asked questions

What is the top speed of the Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen? +

The Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen has a maximum speed of 2,124 km/h.

What is the range of the Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen? +

The Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen has a maximum range of 4,000 km.

What is the weapons payload of the Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen? +

The Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen can carry up to 5,300 kg of weapons payload.

How much does the Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen weigh? +

The Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen has a combat weight of 16,500 kg.

How many crew does the Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen require? +

The Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen requires a crew of 1.

What is the main armament of the Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen? +

The Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen's primary weapon is the 27 mm Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon.

What engine does the Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen use? +

The Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen is powered by the 1x General Electric F414G afterburning turbofan.

What is the Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen used for? +

The Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen is a fighter aircraft typically used for multirole combat, air superiority, close air support, isr.

How many countries operate the Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen? +

The Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen is operated by 3 countries.

How much does the Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen cost? +

The Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen has an approximate unit cost of 85,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.