The Swedish company Saab has started to supply serial Gripen fighters of the new generation - Gripen E. The first six planes went to the Swedish and Brazilian Air Forces.
The family of JAS-39 Gripen fighters appeared in the late eighties, and in 1997 Sweden adopted it. In the noughties, Saab decided to show the modernization potential of these aircraft and for this purpose created the Gripen-NG demonstrator. On its basis, as a result, a new generation Gripen E fighter was created .
The Swedish company presented the Gripen E flight model in 2016, and in 2019 began its serial production. Compared to the Gripen of the previous generation, it has a larger maximum take-off weight and flight range. This was achieved thanks to improvements to the fuel system and power plant.
The new aircraft is capable of cruising supersonic flight — the time of its flight at supersonic speed is limited only by the fuel supply. At the same time, in order to maintain supersonic speed, the fighter engine does not need to use the afterburner mode.
As part of the contracts already received, Saab is to assemble 60 Gripen E for the Swedish Air Force and 36 for the Brazilian Air Force. The Brazilian version of the fighter differs from the Swedish instrument panel with a central large-format information display, two auxiliary small information displays, an updated display system on the windshield and modified flight control system software.
On November 24, Saab presented the first six serial Gripen E fighters to the authorities of Brazil and Sweden and officially moved to the delivery stage. Four planes went to the Brazilian Air Force, and two to the Swedish Air Force.
Saab is also developing other aircraft. Earlier we wrote about its universal "flying radar", which can simultaneously collect information about land, sea and air targets.
Vasilisa Chernyavtseva
