Gripen E: Offering Combat Advantage Against The Opponent
According to the Swedish Air Force, Gripen E fighters are designed to take down Russia's fighter jets. A blogbeforeflight.net article com throws light on one of the most important features of Gripen that makes it possible: its electronic warfare (EW) capability.
The way the A-10 Warthog was built around a massive cannon, the Gripen fighter was built around electronic warfare," says Justin Bronk, an aerial-combat expert at the Royal United Services Institute.
Bronk further explains that instead of focusing on stealth which has a significant cost attached to it, Saab's unique approach to combat its opponents is its focus on EW. This enables the Swedish company to stay ahead of the game because, unlike stealth, EW can be updated any time without any major changes to the flight-critical parts of Gripen.
Giving an example of how, a few years back, a Gripen fighter reportedly appeared on the left wing of a German Eurofighter without being detected, Bronk says Gripen is one of the most capable warfighters out there.
Saab has an experience of over 50 years of electronic warfare innovation. From Arexis Electronic Warefare, to countermeasures dispensing systems, Electro optical sensors, IRST, and AESA, the Gripen fighter system features the best of EW innovations, and is ready for the most unexpected turn of events during a mission.
Besides an advanced EW system, a reputed long-range air-to-air missile like the Meteor also plays a very important role. Owing to Gripen’s open architecture, advanced missiles from various countries can be easily integrated to the fighter. A combination of lethal weapon system and superior EW systems give the Gripen pilot an edge during a live combat.
Read the full story here.