Much of Gripens electronics is sourced from all over Europe. Now i cannot imagine a company giving better technology to Gripen than their national fighters. The F 35 meanwhile gets the cream of American tech, most of it is classified and inaccessible even to the partner nations. Its common sense to believe that the F 35 will have better avionics, atleast to start with.

No it’s not common sense. Because the development curve is different. It’s also going to take until the 2020s until the F-35 gets a electronic attack capability and much of the other feautues often marketed but not available for the early block versions. F-35 will initially be a JDAM bomber with a pair of AMRAAMs. That is the common sense.

Gripen NG builds with experience on already highly advanced Electronic warfare, Datalinks and a number of radar projects that will be followed by the latest technology, with high speed computers and databuses from the best suppliers in the world for a air force jet 2015+. It’s not like Lockheed is sitting there developing new computers and other systems for each new jet that rolls out the line. They source from sub-contractors just like Saab and if the development curve is different then so will the delivered capability be. Gripen 39C/D was for instance designed for an airforce 2006+ so they took the bold move to 100% digitalise the instrumental displays before anyone else. It’s all relevant for when the jet is about to enter service and what capability is planned for that first stage. Gripen NG will pack more capability by 2015 than F-35 by 2015.

And Sweden has no problems what so ever to get the best equipment from the US. We have agreements to work on R&D projects in the defense industry without political interferrence. This has enabled succesfull programs like EXCALIBUR grenades or the SAAB radars to LCS. Specially designed Raytheon AESAs to the Swedish research etc. We don’t even need to notify congress when we buy their weapons.

People who see this as a US vs Sweden thing is so very mistaken… Saab has US partners and they offer the best of what they got or Saab will find someone else. Which is why Eurojet was consulted and studied EJ200 for Gripen. GE decided to enter as a risk sharing partner and offered engines and people. Same with Rockwell-Collins, Honeywell etc. They are financial risk sharing partners. US companies betting on Gripen.

Gripen Supercruises

During a test flight today the Gripen Demo aircraft proved its ability to “Supercruise”, the ability to fly supersonic without the use of afterburner which results in fuel savings and an increase in range.

2009-01-21 | During last Autumn, the Gripen Demo performed 40 sorties as part of the development programme that focuses on opening up the flight envelope regarding speed, altitude, angle-of-attack and loads. This year, the testing has continued at the same high tempo. Today’s supercruise flight is part of the ongoing high speed supersonic testing that will include supersonic flights, with different load alternatives.

Saab test pilot Magnus Ljungdahl flew the Gripen Demonstrator aircraft in supercruise.

“The flight was conducted over the Baltic Sea, my altitude was 28, 000 feet and the speed achieved was above Mach 1.2. Without using afterburner I maintained the same speed until I ran out of test area and had to head back to the Saab Test Flight Centre in Linköping.”

“Important milstone”

“To show potential customers that Gripen can supercruise is an important milestone”, said Gripen International Marketing Director Bob Kemp, “and to perform this activity only nine months after the Gripen Demonstrator was shown in public for the first time, is something that few, if any aircraft can beat.”

The Gripen Demo aircraft is a flying test platform for the next generation of Gripen and for the further development of the present Gripen C/D aircraft. Together with a ground-based test rig, the Gripen Demonstrator will develop and prove the essential systems and capabilities for the future, including its more powerful General Electric F414G engine, an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, advanced communications and electronic warfare systems.

http://www.gripen.com/en/MediaRelations/News/2009/090121_gripen_supercruises.htm

——

Pic from NASA JPL which shows air temperature at height and latitudes.

I marked the testflight altitude with a white bar. The flight altitude was comparatively rather “low” for this type of test, normally official words about supercruise from other producers has been made for higher altitudes where there’s less drag and in effect higher speeds. The red temperature field in the chart above is relevant for most of the western world. For a flight over the middle of India the altitude should be around 32,000 feet to get as cold air temperature as at 28,000 feet over Europe.

And a reminder: This is a twin-seat Gripen that did “above Mach 1.2” and not the somewhat lighter and less draggy single-seat version. In the higher tropopause (+36,200ft) the speed of sound is constant and lower, where temperature and drag is lower which will help aircraft fly faster. There’s still some room to improve the number using higher altitudes and a single-seat jet.