Th ere is perhaps no better evidence of the Gripen’s combat virtues than its
aerodynamic performance. Although the aircraft’s top-end speed is limited in
comparison to the MiG-35, the Typhoon, and the F-16IN, it remains in the
same class as the Rafale and the F/A-18E/F. But more importantly, of all the
fi ghters competing in the MMRCA race, no aircraft has a better sustained turn
performance than the Gripen. Its aerodynamically clean design gives it a decisive
advantage over the Eurofi ghter, Rafale, and MiG-35 in any turning fi ght at
84 DOGFIGHT! | ASHLEY J. TELLIS
lower altitudes, but much smaller benefi ts over the F-16IN (without conformal
fuel tanks) and the F/A-18E/F. Th e Gripen’s advantages in sustained turning
performance diminish at higher altitudes, but it still remains superior to every
other aircraft in the MMRCA
competition. Its instantaneous
turn performance, in contrast,
generally falls below that of its
competitors (with the exception
of the F-16, when equipped with
conformal fuel tanks), but its
bleed rates are also dramatically
smaller, thus permitting it to
preserve its energy and get back
more rapidly into the fight.
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/dogfight.pdf
Gripen is a hell of a fighter for a single engine jet also
