The contenders: Gripen JAS-39

Swedish aerospace major Saab's fighter, the JAS-39, is one of the bidders for the Indian Air Force's MRCA contract. The name Gripen is derived from the name of Saab's marketing firm Gripen International. Competing against the global big boys, such as the American firms, Lockheed Martin and Boeing, with their F-16s and F-18s, the Russian design bureau, RAC MiG, with its MiG-35, and West European heavyweights, Dassault, with its Rafale, and the Eurofighter GmbH consortium, with its Typhoon, Saab would appear to be a virtual no-hoper. But in the JAS-39 fighter, the Swedes have a smart, overall package that should warm the hearts of any air force veteran.

Saab's JAS-39 is one of the first of the new generation, multi-role combat aircraft to enter service around the world. The fact that the JAS has already been inducted in the air forces of some countries, including European ones, should go a long way towards proving its credentials. It is already in service with the Swedish, Czech Republic and Hungarian air forces and has also been ordered by South Africa. The Czech Republic and Hungary are the first NATO countries to operate the JAS.

The UK Empire Test Pilots' School is also operating the JAS-39 as its advanced fast jet platform for test pilots worldwide.

Best described as a low-cost, low maintenance, multi-role 4th generation fighter, the JAS-39 has a ferry range of 3,000 km, with a maximum speed of Mach 1.15 (1400 km/h) at sea level, and close to Mach 2 at altitude. The JAS has an incredible ground turn-around time of 10 minutes, with a crew of just six. This is a factor that works in its favour in a big way.

Avionics
What also works in its favour is its Ericsson PS-05/A pulse doppler radar, which, reportedly, can count anchored ships and follow road traffic at a distance of 90 km, and can pick up fighter targets 120 km away.

	multiple fighters to lock on to a target's track through triangulation from several radars;
	one fighter to jam a target even as another tracks it;
	multiple fighters to use different radar frequencies collaboratively to "burn through" jamming transmissions; and,
	the JAS fighter transparent access to the SAAB-Ericsson 340B Erieye "mini-AWACs" aircraft, as well as the overall ground command and control system.

The aircraft is controlled by a digital fly-by-wire (FBW) system with triple redundancy, and has an analogue backup. The analogue backup system is automatically activated if two of the three digital FBW systems go down, and can also be activated with the push of a button. The system also compensates automatically for the degree of instability built into the JAS to increase its manoeuvrability, and also allows the aircraft to adapt to combat damage.

The JAS has the ability to switch operational roles in-flight, at the touch of a button, a crucial ability given the multi-role requirements of the future battlefield.

	Air-to-air missiles (AAMs), primarily the Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM. The JAS-39's PS-05A radar can guide four of these weapons simultaneously. Incidentally, Sweden is the only nation approved by the US to perform flight tests of the AMRAAM.
	Anti-ship missiles, such as the SAAB RBS-15 turbojet-powered sea-skimming missile. A precision land-attack version of the RBS-15 is under development.
	Air-to-surface missiles, such as the Raytheon AGM-65 Maverick, built in Sweden as the Rb-75, as well as the BK90 Mjoelnir guided gliding sub-munitions dispenser, also known as DWS-39.

Versatility
The JAS-39 can take off and land in less than 600 metres (2,000 feet), which also allows it to be deployed to a road base. The road base system of the Swedish Air Force ensures that attack aircraft are re-located, within a short time, to remote places, difficult for an enemy to find. Once deployed to such a base, the JAS fighters can be serviced by a ground crew of six, including one highly trained specialist and five non-specialist conscripts. The team can refuel and rearm the fighter in ten minutes.

The fast turnaround time is achieved thanks to the JAS's auxiliary power unit (APU), which reduces its dependence on ground systems, as well as its onboard digital systems, which include 'built-in self-test' capabilities that can download diagnostic data to a tech's laptop computer. Practically designed, the JAS has service doors, leading to critical systems, placed at head level or lower, which allow easy access by technicians.

It is estimated that the operational cost of the JAS fighter is probably 50 per cent lower than other aircraft in its class that is currently, or planned to be, in service. The JAS is also said to be twice as reliable, and easier to maintain, than its competitors.

Future
Future JAS fighters are scheduled to carry the 'active electronically-scanned array' (AESA) radar, based on the PS-05/A. The AESA will provide enhanced multimode capabilities, as well as extended range for beyond-visual-range missiles. Its digital architecture makes software upgrades a straightforward job. Possible software improvements include new radar and data link modes; a new terrain-referenced navigation system; and a fully autonomous precision landing-guidance system.