Article Summary – Canada’s decision to revisit its original plan to buy 88 F-35s has thrust Sweden’s Saab JAS 39 Gripen back into the spotlight.
-On paper, Gripen E/F offers agility, modular avionics, and sovereignty-friendly open architecture—an appealing contrast to the tightly controlled, U.S.-centric F-35 ecosystem.
JAS 39 Gripen. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
JAS 39 Gripen over the Ocean. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
-But once export prices, support, and economies of scale are factored in, Gripen is not dramatically cheaper, and it cannot match the F-35’s deep sensor fusion, stealth, and integrated electronic warfare.
-The result: while Gripen offers flexibility and political independence, the F-35 remains the clearly superior combat system—and the “cheap alternative” narrative is mostly myth.
Why the Saab JAS 39 Gripen Isn’t Really a “Cheap F-35” for Canada
In the 2010s, Canada originally made a deal with the U.S. to acquire 88 aircraft to replace its aging fleet of CF-18s.
Since President Trump’s second term, however, Canada has been strongly reconsidering this deal and is looking to buy other foreign jets.
One such fighter under consideration is the Saab JAS 39 Gripen.
The JAS 39 has garnered a lot of attention recently due to heavy marketing by Saab and notable successes in international markets. But is it good enough to replace the F-35?
The Gripen vs the F-35
The Gripen E/F belongs to the 4.5-generation category, emphasizing affordability, agility, and rapid upgrade cycles. Saab designed it with modularity and open architecture in mind, allowing operators to integrate new sensors and weapons without being locked into proprietary systems.
This approach prioritizes cost-effectiveness and sovereignty, making Gripen attractive to smaller air forces that need advanced capabilities without the logistical burden of fifth-generation jets.
The F-35, on the other hand, is a fifth-generation stealth fighter built around low observability, deep sensor fusion, and network-centric warfare.
Its avionics are often described as some of the most advanced in the world, and for good reason.
F-35 Fighter Heading Into the Sky. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
A U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II assigned to the 56th Fighter Wing, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, performs a strafing run during Haboob Havoc 2024, April 24, 2024, at Barry M. Goldwater Range, Arizona. Haboob Havoc is an annual total force exercise that brings together multiple fighter squadrons from numerous bases to practice skills and test abilities in various mission sets. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Noah D. Coger)
The F-35 was designed from the ground up to integrate sensors, electronic warfare, and communications into a single, coherent system that supports stealth penetration of highly defended airspace. This makes its avionics architecture far more monolithic and deeply integrated than Gripen’s modular approach.
Avionics: Where the F-35 Shines
When comparing radar and sensor suites, the Gripen E/F uses the ES-05 Raven AESA radar mounted on a swashplate, which provides a wide field of regard of up to ±100 degrees.
This design allows the aircraft to track multiple targets without maneuvering aggressively. Saab is also introducing Gallium Nitride technology for improved power efficiency and jamming resistance.
In addition to radar, Gripen features the Skyward-G infrared search-and-track system for passive detection of stealthy or non-emitting targets.
Its electronic warfare suite includes digital RF memory-based jamming, missile approach warning, and expendable decoys, while the Arexis EW system leverages GaN transmit/receive modules for high-power jamming.
Networking capabilities include Tactical Data Links and Link 16, enabling cooperative engagement and silent networking across dispersed units.
The system integrates radar, IRST, EW, and datalink inputs into a fused tactical picture, but this fusion occurs at the mission level rather than being deeply embedded within the aircraft’s core systems.
The F-35’s sensor suite is far more advanced and much better integrated. Its AN/APG-81 AESA radar offers long-range detection, synthetic aperture mapping, and electronic attack modes, with future upgrades moving to the AN/APG-85.
The Electro-Optical Targeting System provides stealth-compatible precision strike capability.
At the same time, the Distributed Aperture System uses six infrared sensors to deliver accurate 360-degree coverage, missile warning, and night vision projected onto the pilot’s helmet.
The AN/ASQ-239 electronic warfare system delivers 360-degree threat warning, geolocation, and electronic attack, fully integrated with radar and DAS for real-time response.
Communications include the Multifunction Advanced Data Link for stealthy intra-flight communication and Link 16 for broader interoperability.
Unlike Gripen, the F-35 combines radar, EW, DAS, and EOTS into a single, coherent picture displayed on a panoramic cockpit display and the Gen III helmet.
This fusion is platform-level, meaning that every sensor feeds into a single integrated system rather than separate stovepipes.
EW and Sensor Fusion
The Jas 39 is equipped with a GaN-based jamming, DRFM techniques, and expendable decoys. It is designed for electromagnetic spectrum dominance in contested environments, leveraging AI-assisted threat analysis.
Saab has even demonstrated AI-controlled Gripen E flights, showing adaptive engagement strategies and hinting at future autonomy in EW.
The F-35’s AN/ASQ-239 EW suite is fully integrated with the aircraft’s stealth and sensor fusion systems, providing precise emitter geolocation, electronic attack, and self-protection while maintaining low observability.
For the F-35, EW is treated as a primary sensor, feeding into the fused picture for both defensive and offensive operations.
Both aircraft incorporate some form of sensor fusion. The JAS 39 uses a Wide Area Display and advanced Human-Machine Collaboration to simplify the pilot workload. Its sensor fusion is robust but mission-level, integrating onboard and networked inputs without the same depth of internal coupling as the F-35.
Open architecture allows rapid software updates and third-party integration, giving operators sovereignty and flexibility. The F-35’s fusion is platform-level and real-time, combining radar, EW, DAS, and EOTS into a single picture.
The helmet-mounted display projects 360-degree imagery from DAS, eliminating blind spots and enabling passive tracking. Tech Refresh 3 and Block 4 upgrades will add more processing power, new weapons, and advanced radar modes, ensuring future-proofing.
Is the Gripen Really a Cheaper Alternative
Saab has often marketed the Gripen as a low-cost alternative to the F-35, but there are a couple of nuances worth noting. First off, recent export orders of the JAS 39 show that it is not, in fact, much cheaper than the F-35.
According to the contract signed with Columbia, the aircraft cost around $297 million per aircraft as opposed to the $203 million that the Czech Republic paid for its jets (these costs include offset support). Second, the F-35 benefits from economies of scale.
Because the F-35 has had so much international success, its broad production has helped offset its massive costs and lowered its price. The JAS 39, on the other hand, does not enjoy such an advantage.
So, which aircraft has better avionics and electronics overall?
The F-35 Lightning II is the clear winner in terms of absolute capability. Its deep sensor fusion and stealth synergy, DAS and panoramic cockpit display for unmatched situational awareness, integrated EW as a primary sensor, and advanced networking for joint operations set it apart.
The Gripen E/F offers a more modular option with more control, but let’s face it: everything the Gripen does, the F-35 can do, but much better.
Even the myth about it being a more cost-effective alternative is largely untrue.
About the Author: Isaac Seitz
Isaac Seitz, a Defense Columnist, graduated from Patrick Henry College’s Strategic Intelligence and National Security program. He has also studied Russian at Middlebury Language Schools and has worked as an intelligence Analyst in the private sector.
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