Origins[edit]

By the late 1970s, Sweden needed a replacement for its ageing Saab 35 Draken and Saab
37 iggen!
"7#
$he Swedish %ir &orce re'(ired an affordable )ach * aircraft with good short+
field performance for a defensi,e dispersed basing plan in the e,ent of in,asion- the plan
incl(ded .00 m long by 9 m wide r(dimentary r(nways as stated in the Base 90 directi,es!
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/ne goal was for the aircraft to be smaller than the iggen while e'(alling or impro,ing
on its payload+range characteristics!
"9#
0arly proposals incl(ded the Saab 3., also called
B31%, intended as an attack aircraft and trainer,
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and the % *0, a de,elopment of the
iggen that wo(ld ha,e capabilities as a fighter, attack and sea reconnaissance aircraft!
"11#
Se,eral foreign designs were also st(died, incl(ding the 2eneral Dynamics &+13 &ighting
&alcon, the )cDonnell Do(glas &4%+1. 5ornet,
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the 6orthrop &+*0 $igershark and
the Dassa(lt )irage *000!
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7ltimately, the Swedish go,ernment opted for a new fighter to
be de,eloped by Saab 8Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolag9!
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:n 1979, the go,ernment started a st(dy calling for a ,ersatile platform capable of ;<%S;,
standing for Jakt 8air+to+air9, Attack 8air+to+s(rface9, and Spaning 8reconnaissance9,
indicating a m(ltirole, or swingrole, fighter aircraft that can f(lfill m(ltiple roles d(ring the
same mission!
"1*#
% n(mber of Saab designs were accordingly re,iewed, with the most
promising being ;=ro>ect *105; 8redesignated ;=ro>ect *10.; and, later, ;=ro>ect *110;9,
recommended to the go,ernment by the Defence )ateriel %dministration 8Frsvarets
Materielverk, or &)9!
"1*#
:n 19.0, Industrigruppen JAS 8IG JAS, ;<%S :nd(stry 2ro(p;9 was
established as a >oint ,ent(re by Saab+Scania, 1) 0ricsson, S,enska
?adioaktiebolaget, ol,o &lygmotor and &@rs,arets &abriks,erk, the ind(strial wing of the
Swedish armed forces!
"1A#
$he preferred aircraft was a single+engine, lightweight single+seater, embracing fly+by+
wire technology, canards, and an aerodynamically (nstable design!
"15#
$he powerplant
selected was the ol,o+&lygmotor ?)1*, a license+b(ilt deri,ati,e of the 2eneral 0lectric
&A0A+A00- engine de,elopment priorities were weight red(ction and lowering component
co(nt!
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/n 30 <(ne 19.*, with appro,al from the ?iksdag,
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the &) iss(ed contracts
worth S0B*5!7 billion to prime contractor Saab co,ering fi,e prototypes and an initial batch
of 30 prod(ction aircraft!
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$o test a,ionics intended for the <%S 39, s(ch as the fly+by+
wire controls, a iggen was con,erted to operate as a test aircraft, flying by <an(ary 19.3!
"*0#
$hro(gh a p(blic competition, the <%S 39 recei,ed the name Gripen 8griffin9,
"*1#"3#
which is
the heraldry on SaabCs logo!
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