JAS 39 Gripen - an overview: Armament

Gripen is able to carry a very wide range of armaments. Shown here are some of the possible loads. Exactly which combinations are possible and trialled isn't known to me, but from the combinations shown so far, it doesn't seem like there are any major restrictions to load outs. It is known the flight control system can manage large assymetrical loads.

Future developments will of course include other alternatives as well.

                                  
           |             
       __  n  __         
   -----=[(.)]=-----     Built in under the left side of the nose is a
            '            27 mm Mauser BK with 120 rounds.
1h 2h 3h 4 5   3v 2v 1v  Pylon numbering (v = vänster = left, h = höger = right)

  (T)  T   T   T  (T)    530 or 1275 litre drop tanks. Outer stations only
                         for the smaller tanks, those stations not used for
                         tanks by the Swedish air force. Some 1275 l tanks
                         are reused from Danish F-35 Drakens, the currently
                         built export tank is identical to those.
74 74 74       74 74 74  Rb 74 (AIM-9L) Sidewinder. Air cooled. 
98 98 98       98 98 98  Rb 98 IRIS-T
   99 99       99 99     Rb 99 AMRAAM. (See note below.)
   V4 V4       V4 V4     Denel R-Darter (SAAF designation V4)
    M  M       M  M      Meteor
      15       15        Rb 15F jet powered anti-ship missile. (598 kg)
      BK       BK        BK m/90, Bombkapsel m/90, Mjölner. Gliding bomblet dispenser. (600 kg)
   75 75       75 75     Rb 75 (AGM-65) Maverick. (210 kg)
   R  R         R  R     6 x 135 mm M70 rockets. (364 kg)
         V V             Vinten Vicon 70 Series 72c reconnaissance pod.
           S             SPK-39, Saab designed reconnaissance pod with low altitude
                         film cameras SKA 24 from retired AJSF 37s, CA-270 medium altitude
                         optronic sensor and later IR line scanner and LOROP. 730 kg.
         F               Zeiss Optronik Litening FLIR/laser designator pod.
      KE       KE        Taurus KEPD 150 (1050 kg A/B) or 350 (C/D) stand off missile. A missile in 
                         this class not yet adopted by the Swedish air force.
   E     E               ECM pod. Not currently planned for Swedish air force use.
   bb bb   b   bb bb     Iron/cluster/guided bombs, this option is not at present
   B  B    B    B  B     used by the Swedish air force, but laser guided bombs will 
                         be in the future.
                         Mk 82 (on twin launchers), Mk 83, GBU-10/12 are among the bombs that have been separation 
                         tested in wind tunnel trials.

Sample of displayed load out combinations

74 75 15    T    15 75 74
74 99 15    T    15 75 74
74 99 99    T    99 99 74
98 99 99         99 99 98
74 74 74    T    74 74 74
74 99 T  V  T     T 99 74  Note: Centre line preferred for recce pod by the Swedish air force.
74 R  R     T     R  R 74
74 E  T     T     T 99 74  
74 75 BK E  T    BK 75 74
74 99 KE    T    KE 99 74
                           I haven't seen any example of use of tanks on stations
                           2v and 2h, but they are plumbed for it.

74 99 T   99 99   T 99 74 (In the mid 90's two underfuselage AMRAAM launchers
                          were supposed to be included in the C/D configuration.
                          This has not been realized and has only been seen as a drawing.)

Note: The two dedicated Rb 99 stations under the fuselage are specific for JAS 39C/D. They are closely spaced and staggered in place of the centre line external tank. Since that version also has a higher gross weight, it must be assumed that it can carry heavier alternatives than the combinations shown here, which otherwise refers to JAS 39A/B.

Other weapons will be integrated according to user needs. For example Brimstone is considered, Meteor isn't integrated yet but will as it's been chosen by the Swedish air force, and the South African air force has some weapons which it will integrate too.

Countermeasures dispensers

Gripen can be fitted with BOL, BOP/B and BOP/C countermeasures dispensers.

The BOL and BOP/B dispensers are integrated with wing pylons while BOP/C is an internally mounted dispenser. The quantity of each dispenser type on the aircraft has not yet been made public.