JAS 39 Gripen
ICAO SB39A small Swedish fighter designed to fly from public roads. Live JAS 39 Gripen positions.
Flying right now
Live · 30s
No JAS 39 Gripen is transmitting ADS-B at the moment.
Military aircraft are not obliged to broadcast, so this happens regularly. The count refreshes every thirty seconds.
Airframe
- Manufacturer
- Saab
- Role
- Multirole fighter
- Class
- L1J — Landplane, 1 jet engine
- Crew
- 1, or 2 in the D and F
- First flight
- 9 December 1988
- In service
- 1996
Operators airborne
Nothing of this type is up right now.
About the JAS 39 Gripen
The Gripen was built around a Swedish assumption that airbases would not survive a war, so it can be refuelled and rearmed by a small conscript team on a stretch of public road and be back in the air in under twenty minutes. Everything about it — the size, the landing performance, the maintenance design — follows from that.
It is the cheapest Western fighter to operate per flight hour by a considerable margin, which is why smaller air forces keep choosing it: the Czech Republic, Hungary, South Africa, Thailand and Brazil, which is assembling the newer E model locally.
Hungarian and Czech aircraft appear here occasionally, both flying in busy central European airspace where transponders are expected.
Callsign prefixes
- SVF
- Swedish Air Force
- HUAF
- Hungarian Air Force
- CEF
- Czech Air Force
How to recognise it
- —A small delta with canards, single engine and a single fin.
- —Distinctly smaller than a Rafale or Typhoon — it is one of the smallest fighters in service.
- —A prominent nose probe and a low-set delta wing with a straight trailing edge.
Common questions
+ Can the Gripen really operate from a road?
Yes, and it is a standing part of Swedish doctrine. Dispersed road bases with pre-positioned fuel and weapons are exercised regularly; the aircraft needs around 600 metres and a ground crew of six.
+ Which countries fly the Gripen?
Sweden, the Czech Republic, Hungary, South Africa, Thailand and Brazil, with Brazil assembling the E model domestically. Several leases have also been arranged over the years.
+ What is the difference between the Gripen C and E?
The E is substantially larger and heavier, with a more powerful engine, more fuel, more pylons and a new radar. It looks similar but shares relatively little structure.