Saab Gripen: The Swedish multi-role jet that's easy to fly and cheap to operate

Nato has been bolstered by the arrival of another 98 Gripen fighter jets now Sweden has joined the alliance.

The Saab JAS 39C Gripens are set to play a pivotal role in Nato's air operations, potentially extending their reach to support Ukraine.

It is understood that Ukrainian pilots are currently undergoing training on the Gripen, and discussions are underway regarding the possible transfer of some airframes to Ukraine.

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Major Henrik Björling, a Swedish air force Gripen display pilot, highlighted the advantages of the jet.

"One of the things that the Gripen is really good at is turn rate, doing things really fast, but at the same time the Gripen is also super easy to fly," he explained.

This could be an advantage in the training of Ukrainian pilots. Another major advantage is the jet's cost-effectiveness.

The Saab combat aircraft is the cheapest to operate per hour of all the Nato jets.

And at a time when most jets are produced by multiple countries, the Gripen stands out as a successful single-nation design.