Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Sweden says it built a Russian fighter jet killer — and stealth is totally irrelevant

February 12, 2019 (112.ua) Swedish military claims Gripen E fighter aircraft potentially capable of fighting Russia's Sukhoi fighter jets. Business Insiderlooked into what the Swedish air force considers to be a valuable contribution to opposing the cutting-edge Russian aircraft.  The commander of Sweden's air force, Mats Helgesson, recently made the bold statement that his country's Saab Gripen E fighter could beat Russia's formidable fleet of Sukhoi jets with none of the expensive stealth technology the US relies on.
"Gripen, especially the E-model, is designed to kill Sukhois. There we have a black belt," Helgesson told Yle at a presentation in Finland, where Sweden is trying to export the jets. Russia's Sukhoi fighters have achieved a kind of legendary status for their ability to out-maneuver US fighter jets in dogfights and pull off dangerous and aggressive stunts in the air, but Gripen may have cracked the code. The Gripen can't carry the most weapons and has no real stealth. And it isn't the longest-range, the fastest, or even the cheapest jet. But it has a singular focus that makes it a nightmare for Russia's fighter jets.

Saab Gripen-E, Swedish Air Force fighter jet. airliners.net
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