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The Saab proprietary data link that even current Gripens have is more advanced than NATO's Link-16. Now let's discuss some other serious omissions that are here. One is the Helmet-Mounted Display that is derived from the HMD of the Eurofighter Typhoon, already in use by current Gripens. This allows tremendous off-boresight missile capability. Furthermore, the EW suite is so potent that at Red Flag, even a Gripen-C WAS ABLE TO SNEAK UP ON AN F-22 Raptor! It was in gun range before the Raptor knew that it was there! If the ridiculously expensive and advanced sensors of an F-22 couldn't see it coming, how on earth would a Viper manage? Quite simply, it wouldn't because even the current Gripen has the Viper totally beat in the BVR aspect as well as WVR. This brings us to the differences in armament.
The Viper is still stuck using the old AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles because the USAF refuses to use imported missil es and all of the US Government's money has been sucked dry by the horrendously-mismanaged F-35 program, leaving no money to pay Raytheon or Rockwell to develop a newer and more competitive air to air missile. The Super Gripen possesses no such handicap as the current Gripen-C has IRIS-T missiles on its wingtips and is the first fighter to have the state of the art Meteor missile in full operation. In fact, the Meteor was developed on a Gripen! The Meteor will be many times more effective than the AMRAAM, scoring BVR kills before the Gripen even has to show off is lethal WVR capabilities. The funny thing is, the Meteor is less than half of the equation. The IRIS-T is what makes the Gripen REALLY scary.
The IRIS-T is the most advanced and dangerous IR-tracking missile in the world. I hesitate to call it an air to air missile because some geniuses in Norway fiddled with the software and changed it from an air to air missile to an all-purpose missile akin to those in the Ace Combat series of video games. Now, the IRIS-T can lock on to ANYTHING with a heat signature using the off-boresight capability of the Cobra HMD. This missile can lock on to an enemy aircraft, building, ship, vehicle and even incoming enemy air to air missiles. The high-explosive, fragmentation warhead armed with a proximity fuse is an extremely effective missile-shield. This is something that not even the newest AIM-9X can do and is an obvious game-changer when it comes to aerial combat. The Viper is in serious trouble here.
A couple of other aspects of the Super Gripen that the Viper cannot match are the logistics and cost considerations. While not technically relevant in a one on one engagement (which the Viper would most likely lose anyway), they are EXTREMELY relevant in a war scenario, the scenario that these planes are theoretically designed for. On the logistics side, the Super Gripen will require far less maintenance than the Viper, allowing for a higher rate of availability for sorties. The short-field performance of the Gripen allows it to operate from 500m of jagged, Swedish snow-covered road, serviced from the roadside with a full engine swap taking about an hour with one officer and five enlisted men. With cost considerations, the Gripen-C currently costs only about US$7,000/HR to operate while the JAS-39E Super Gripen will cost less, around US$4,700/HR. This will mean better pilot training through a greater number of affordable training hours. The better-trained pilot's human equation is a HUGE advantage for the Gripen.
The Saab proprietary data link that even current Gripens have is more advanced than NATO's Link-16. Now let's discuss some other serious omissions that are here. One is the Helmet-Mounted Display that is derived from the HMD of the Eurofighter Typhoon, already in use by current Gripens. This allows tremendous off-boresight missile capability. Furthermore, the EW suite is so potent that at Red Flag, even a Gripen-C WAS ABLE TO SNEAK UP ON AN F-22 Raptor! It was in gun range before the Raptor knew that it was there! If the ridiculously expensive and advanced sensors of an F-22 couldn't see it coming, how on earth would a Viper manage? Quite simply, it wouldn't because even the current Gripen has the Viper totally beat in the BVR aspect as well as WVR. This brings us to the differences in armament.
The Viper is still stuck using the old AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles because the USAF refuses to use imported missil es and all of the US Government's money has been sucked dry by the horrendously-mismanaged F-35 program, leaving no money to pay Raytheon or Rockwell to develop a newer and more competitive air to air missile. The Super Gripen possesses no such handicap as the current Gripen-C has IRIS-T missiles on its wingtips and is the first fighter to have the state of the art Meteor missile in full operation. In fact, the Meteor was developed on a Gripen! The Meteor will be many times more effective than the AMRAAM, scoring BVR kills before the Gripen even has to show off is lethal WVR capabilities. The funny thing is, the Meteor is less than half of the equation. The IRIS-T is what makes the Gripen REALLY scary.
The IRIS-T is the most advanced and dangerous IR-tracking missile in the world. I hesitate to call it an air to air missile because some geniuses in Norway fiddled with the software and changed it from an air to air missile to an all-purpose missile akin to those in the Ace Combat series of video games. Now, the IRIS-T can lock on to ANYTHING with a heat signature using the off-boresight capability of the Cobra HMD. This missile can lock on to an enemy aircraft, building, ship, vehicle and even incoming enemy air to air missiles. The high-explosive, fragmentation warhead armed with a proximity fuse is an extremely effective missile-shield. This is something that not even the newest AIM-9X can do and is an obvious game-changer when it comes to aerial combat. The Viper is in serious trouble here.
A couple of other aspects of the Super Gripen that the Viper cannot match are the logistics and cost considerations. While not technically relevant in a one on one engagement (which the Viper would most likely lose anyway), they are EXTREMELY relevant in a war scenario, the scenario that these planes are theoretically designed for. On the logistics side, the Super Gripen will require far less maintenance than the Viper, allowing for a higher rate of availability for sorties. The short-field performance of the Gripen allows it to operate from 500m of jagged, Swedish snow-covered road, serviced from the roadside with a full engine swap taking about an hour with one officer and five enlisted men. With cost considerations, the Gripen-C currently costs only about US$7,000/HR to operate while the JAS-39E Super Gripen will cost less, around US$4,700/HR. This will mean better pilot training through a greater number of affordable training hours. The better-trained pilot's human equation is a HUGE advantage for the Gripen.
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