Description
JAS-39D Gripen Twin Seater. Comes with SAAF decals!!
The Saab JAS 39 Gripen entered service in the second half of the 1990s, representing a significant advancement over its predecessors, such as the long-serving Saab 37 Viggen. The Swedish air superiority and multirole fighter was soon developed in a two-seat version to meet the demands of advanced pilot training. This variant retained essentially the same high performance as the single-seat fighter, while offering greater operational flexibility, enabling it to carry out reconnaissance and ground-attack missions. The aircraft’s innovative aerodynamic design, providing excellent maneuverability, combined with strong flight performance, a maximum speed of Mach 2.0, and the capability to carry a diverse and flexible offensive payload, also contributed to its commercial success outside Sweden.
South Africa operates the JAS 39D Gripen, a two-seat variant of the Swedish multi-role fighter, primarily used by the SAAF Test Flight Development Centre for integrating custom avionics and systems, though the fleet faced grounding issues due to funding cuts but has seen recent flights. The “D” model offers advanced training, reconnaissance, and ground attack capabilities with its tandem cockpit, distinguishing it from the single-seat C model, and is part of the SAAF’s overall Gripen fleet acquired for modern air defense.
