Saab JAS 39 Gripen as an alternative to American fighters. Unfortunately, there are nuances

A few days ago, the Swedish newspaper Dagens industri ("Today's Industry") published an article in which Saab AB President Mikael Johansson expressed his hope that Saab would close a $3.65 billion deal with Colombia within a few months for the supply of 16 JAS-39 Gripen E/F 4th generation fighters. Johansson also spoke about the possibility of new customers for the JAS-39 Gripen in Latin America and confirmed that the company's negotiations with Canada and Portugal were ongoing.

Details of the Saab-Colombia deal were leaked to the media on April 3, 2025, when the parties signed a letter of intent, with the final signing of the contract to take place in the summer during the F-Air Colombia 2025 air show. This is Saab AB's first potential contract for the JAS-39 Gripen since 2014. Thanks, perhaps, should be said, including to US President Donald Trump. Due to concerns about the unreliability of American partners, governments of some countries are looking for alternatives to American fighters.

Based on the potential contract amount, the cost of one JAS-39 Gripen E/F fighter for Colombia should be $228.12 million, which is a bit too much, especially for an aircraft that has always been considered an inexpensive alternative to American fighters. Even the more modern Lockheed Martin F-35 fifth-generation costs less – $208.3 million. Recall that the JAS-39 Gripen E/F is a fourth-generation aircraft, or rather 4+ generation. But there are no exact prices from Saab or the Colombian government yet, so it is worth waiting for their announcement.

As for Canada, Saab has been promoting the JAS-39 Gripen as a fighter for this country for four years. With a focus on Canadian operating conditions, localized production, job creation, etc. Against the background of friction between Canada and the US, this seems to make sense... but there is one very important nuance.

The fact is that the US can block any contact with the Saab JAS 39 Gripen at any time. These fighters, both in the older versions of the JAS 39C/D and in the modern JAS-39 E/F, use a US-made power plant - the Volvo RM12 (localized General Electric F404) in the JAS 39C/D versions, or the General Electric F414 in the JAS-39 E/F. Therefore, the US has the right to veto the supply of these aircraft. In addition, the Gripen has an American on-board computer and additional power plants. According to some information, 30% of the components of the Saab JAS 39 Gripen are manufactured in the USA.

In the late 1990s, Germany's EuroJet Turbo GmbH proposed replacing the American engine with the European EJ230 (based on the Rolls-Royce XG-40), which is used in the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet, but Europe failed to win the contract. It may be time to consider returning to this plan.

As for the Saab JAS 39 Gripen for Ukraine, back in February 2023, Swedish Defense Minister Poul Jonsson spoke about a request for Gripen fighters from Ukraine. During President Zelensky's visit to Sweden in August 2023, it was announced that Ukrainian pilots had allegedly already begun testing Swedish Gripens. In September 2024, Sweden announced another aid package for Ukraine in the amount of $443 million, part of which was intended to "accept the transfer of Gripen fighters in the future."

The latest information on the status of the transfer of Swedish Saab JAS 39C/D Gripen to Ukraine appeared in early February 2025, when the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Syrsky, said that "We agreed with the Commander-in-Chief of theSwedish Armed Forces to continue the dialogue on satisfying the requests of the Ukrainian Air Force, in particular on the provision of Swedish aircraft."

Although with a potential block on any movement and production of the Saab JAS 39 Gripen from the US side, all these potential contracts look a bit precarious.

Specifications of the Saab JAS 39C/D Gripen (as the most likely for Ukraine)