The publication Defense Express analyzed official estimates of the operating costs of the Gripen to determine whether this fighter jet is truly the cheapest among 4+ generation aircraft. The data was taken from reports by Saab and the Czech Ministry of Defense, which explained their decision to transition to the F-35.
Source: OBOZREVATEL
According to Defense Express, in 2023 Saab provided the publication Fighter Aircraft Through Life Costs for Aviation Week, comparing the expenses of the Gripen with other aircraft. The evaluation covered 100 fighter jets, calculated over 37 years of operation.
In the Czech Republic, these figures were used for their own financial analysis when justifying the choice of the American F-35s.
According to official data from Saab, the flight hour cost of the older Gripen C/D model is about $20,600, while the newer Gripen E/F costs $22,100. The total includes maintenance, fuel, crew, and logistics expenses. For comparison, a flight hour of the F-16V costs $25,600, and the F-35A — over $46,000.
Comparison with competitors
At the same time, Defense Express experts note that Saab’s baseline figures are largely based on the operating costs of the Swedish Air Force, which currently has only one new Gripen E. Therefore, the numbers may be estimates. Nevertheless, even with cautious calculations, the Gripen remains the cheapest in its category — less expensive than the Rafale, Eurofighter, and even the upgraded F/A-18E/F.
The total maintenance cost for 100 Gripen E/F aircraft over 37 years is estimated at $21.2 billion, while for the older C/D version it is about $18.5 billion.
For comparison, a fleet of F-15EX jets would cost over $34 billion. Thus, according to Saab’s calculations, the Gripen is indeed the cheapest option, although the evaluation methodology may be somewhat optimistic.
Czech cost calculation
Defense Express experts note that even two years after Saab’s presentation, the operating costs of fighter jets have significantly increased — especially considering that the calculations themselves were based on even older data. Nevertheless, these figures remain useful for understanding the overall correlation between aircraft models and their maintenance costs.
At the same time, such financial calculations remain quite controversial. An example is another report — from the Czech Ministry of Defense, published in 2023, when Prague justified its choice of American F-35s instead of Swedish Gripen E/F fighters.
According to Czech estimates, operating 24 Gripen E/F aircraft along with armaments would cost $174 million per year, or $7.25 million per aircraft. For the same number of F-35s, the figure reached $231 million — about $9.6 million per unit. Based on 200 flight hours per year, the cost per flight hour for the Gripen E/F would be about $36,200 compared to $48,000 for the F-35.
Thus, the figures from Saab and the Czech Ministry of Defense differ significantly: Saab’s estimate for the Gripen E/F is almost twice as low. As Defense Express notes, this may be due not only to differing calculation methods but also to the fact that the Czech Republic had already made a political decision in favor of the American jets.
As reported earlier, Swedish company Saab plans to open a plant in Ukraine to manufacture JAS 39 Gripen E fighter jets. The facility will carry out the final assembly of the aircraft components. The opening of the plant is linked to the agreement between Ukraine and Sweden on the purchase of the fighters, which both sides signed on October 22.
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