The Gripen is enabling Sweden to demonstrate that its membership in NATO is not mere lip service.
When Sweden made the decision to join NATO—this finally became official on March 7, 2024—it was kind of a big deal, as that nation had maintained neutrality for the entirety of the Cold War, and for three decades thereafter.
However, that “neutrality” policy should not be interpreted as “defenseless” or completely pacifistic. Bearing in mind the Winter War (1939-1940) experiences of its Scandinavian neighbor, Finland—which also joined NATO after many decades of official neutrality—the Swedes always kept the possibility of war with the Soviets in mind, and accordingly maintained a formidable and capable military. This was especially true of the Swedish Air Force, as manifested in its fighter jets like the Saab 37 Viggen (“Thunderbolt/Tufted Duck”) and Saab 35 Draken (“Dragon/Kite”) back in the day, and more recently, the fourth-generation Saab JAS 39 Gripen (“Griffin”).
Speaking of the Gripen, it’s enabling Sweden to demonstrate that the country’s membership in NATO is not mere lip service.
The Basics of the Gripen
The latest news comes to us from Sinéad Baker in an article for Business Insider republished by MSN and titled “NATO’s newest ally is sending its Gripen jets made for war with Russia out to patrol alliance borders for the first time.” To wit:
“NATO’s newest member is deploying a fighter jet that is designed for a fight with Russia to protect alliance borders for the first time … Sweden’s armed forces said six of the country’s JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft landed at an air base in Malbork, Poland, on Wednesday to join an alliance airspace surveillance mission … NATO said this was the first time Sweden’s combat aircraft had participated in the alliance’s “enhanced Air Policing mission” from within another ally’s airspace since it joined in March 2024. It previously took part in NATO air policing missions only over its own territory, as only a partner nation.”
Gripen Initial History and Specifications
Manufactured by the Saab Group, the JAS (Jakt [air-to-air] Attack [air-to-surface] Spaning [reconnaissance]) 39 Gripen made its maiden flight on December 9, 1988, and officially entered into operational service with the Swedish Air Force on June 9, 1996. The warbird has the following vital stats and tech specs:
- Fuselage Length: 46.3 feet (14.1 meters)
- Wingspan:27.6 ft (8.4 m)
- Height: 14.8 ft (4.5 m)
- Empty Weight: 14,991 lb. (6,800 kg)
- Max Takeoff Weight: 30,865 lbs. (14,000 kgs)
- Powerplant: One General Electric (G.E.) F414-GE-39E (RM16) afterburning turbofan engine, generating 64 kN (14,400 lbf.) of thrust
- Max Airspeed: Mach 2 (2,100 km/h; 1,300 mph; 1,100 knots)
- Service Ceiling: 50,000 feet (15,240 meters)
- Ferry Range: 2,000 miles (3,200 km, 1,700 nautical miles)
- Combat Range: 500 miles (800 km, 430 nautical miles)
- Armament:
- Guns: One 27 mm Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon
- Hardpoints: Eight; three on each wing and two under the fuselage, which can carry combinations of
Approximately 300 JAS 39 airframes have been built as of 2023.
Other Developments in Swedish-Polish Military Relations
As an additional indicator of Sweden’s ever-warming relationship within the rubric of the NATO alliance, on April 1, 2025, the aforementioned Malbork Air Base aka 22nd Air Base hosted an inauguration ceremony to recognize Swedish and British contributions in Poland. Therein, Swedish minister of defence Pål Jonson was welcomed by his Polish counterpart, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. As Jonson said in his official speech:
“It is historic to have Swedish fighter jets in place here in Poland. Poland, the United Kingdom and Sweden are united in our mission and our intention to defend the alliance. NATO has kept peace in Europe since the alliance was founded.”
About the Author: Christian D. Orr
Christian D. Orr was previously a Senior Defense Editor for National Security Journal (NSJ) and 19FortyFive. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He has also been published in The Daily Torch, The Journal of Intelligence and Cyber Security, and Simple Flying. Last but not least, he is a Companion of the Order of the Naval Order of the United States (NOUS). If you’d like to pick his brain further, you can ofttimes find him at the Old Virginia Tobacco Company (OVTC) lounge in Manassas, Virginia, partaking of fine stogies and good quality human camaraderie.
Image: Sanit Fuangnakhon / Shutterstock.com
