Swedish Air Force’s Gripen Fighters to Serve as Stopgap Training Jets Amid Shortage

The Swedish Air Force is planning to assign a number of its older Gripen C and Gripen D fourth generation lightweight fighters to the role of stopgap trainers, with the jets replacing the ageing Saab 105 in the role. The fighters will serve in this role until a more advanced replacement for the training jets can be acquired. Despite being designed as a frontline fighter, the Gripen is viable as a trainer due to its extremely low maintenance requirements. The jet was designed to prioritise a low operational cost meaning they have a very small and light airframe and use a low powered F404 engine. The Gripen is one of the lightest and cheapest fighters in production anywhere int the world, with a similar weight and engine thrust to the Indian Tejas and Pakistani JF-17. Although its combat capabilities are underwhelming relative to other single engine designs such as the F-16 and J-10 its low operational costs allow pilots to maintain considerable flight hours at a modest price. Estimates of the platform’s operational costs are at around $4000 per hour. The Gripen is expected to be Sweden's last indigenous fighter, although it remains heavily reliant on foreign technologies including an American engine, Italian radar and U.S. and European missiles. Other than its low cost, the platform is prized for its range, which is slightly longer than that of the F-16, as well as its ability to operate from short or makeshift runways.