Gripen in NATO: Sweden's Anti-Russia Fighter

The Gripen is Sweden's purpose-built fighter. Operating from a decentralised and dispersed posture, this aircraft will now be a new asset in NATO's arsenal. To discover this fighter and what makes it tick, join Chris as he jumps jump onboard and goes for a ride to experience first hand what a state of a art jet has to offer.
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Achtung Panzer? Zur Panzerwaffe der Wehrmacht - panzerkonferenz.de/
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- Video sources -
DOD, SAAB, NATO,
- Timecodes -
00:00 - Sweden in NATO
01:39 - Briefing
02:57 - Gripen in NATO
05:00 - How Fighter Jets Focus on the Mission
11:47 - Fighters: Data as a Weapon
17:17 - Future Perspective
- Audio -
Music and Sfx from Epidemic Sound

[@lordofnothing3201]

Sponsored by SAAB? Why is there no discount code to buy a Gripen in the description?

[@matsv201]

He probobly just forgot to put it in. He going to make banks when he get a 10% kickback o the orders

[@DirtyHairy1]

I would be happy with a discount code for 1 flight :)

[@matsv201]

@@DirtyHairy1 of cause. A 10% rebate on a 85M jet.. is a saving of 8.5M.. acording to my wife logic we can't aford not to buy one.

[@thisisabcoates]

​@@matsv201Tell your wife the bank balance is just a number

[@Pikilloification]

Who puts a price on freedom, really

[@robertboemke8705]

Who'd have thought that the airplane-nerd from 10 years ago would turn his hobby into getting free flights on modern military aircraft? You're very lucky, but that luck is the residue of your perseverance and competence. Congratulations.

[@JPR3D]

Well put, I remember the War Thunder days. It's really inspiring to see our guy succeeding.

[@derrickfoster644]

It takes a lot of effort to get as lucky as him. First vid I have seen but he seems like a good guy.

[@tatumergo3931]

Life lesson. If you want to succeed in life, develop a passion for something and then poor all your efforts into it.

[@fthagnryleh4951]

@@derrickfoster644 You mention luck and effort, they really do not go hand in hand. He was not lucky he was persistent and determined, luck is not what brought him here.

[@derrickfoster644]

@@fthagnryleh4951 That is exactly what the phrase "it takes a lot of effort to get that lucky." Means. It is a recognition of the effort someone puts into something that they are not in full control of.

[@beverlychmelik5504]

I second what Chris says about experiencing something VS just studying it. I used to joke that I spent my whole life prepping for the docent job at the Mighty Eigth Museum. I was Bomber ground crew, flew on B-52s, got a flight on a B-17 and B-24, shot a 50BMG, worked in -40 degree temperatures, which gave me an appreciation and feel of what our WW2 aircrews went through.

[@josephking6515]

Was that -40°F or -40°C ? 🤭

[@Farweasel]

@@josephking6515 You so nearly got me with that 🙄 - *Excellent* supplement

[@lurebenson7722]

You really are then a skilled video war gamer then ! The only thing you left out being a lying video war gamer other video war gamers add is you are a bodyguard to Putin.

[@gromstorm3843]

Impressed that he didn’t read a list of statistics but focused on information such as the concept of “gaining time”

[@fiendishrabbit8259]

This is the military aviation history channel. He's already done several videos on the Gripen.

[@Luredreier]

Statistics would probably have lead to arguing in the comment field.

[@stoyantodorov2133]

I mean on paper the gripen is just bad compared to other 4.5 gen jets, so that might be a reason he decided not to mention thrust, load capacity, speed, range etc. The gripen is more than the sum of its parts. It puts heavy emphasis on ergonomics and situational awareness which make it competitive, but that is something that can't be measured like the previously mentioned stats.

[@perttiroska9970]

@@stoyantodorov2133 Hopefull that Finnish F/A-18 Hornets, Danish F-16's, Norwegian F-35's with Swedish Gripens+Electronic Warfare fighters will make good combination.

[@kebrl]

​@@perttiroska9970 You're describing a scenario of different assets accomplishing their common goals through their respective strengths, covering for their respective weaknesses. Which is why Sweden joining NATO, with their sexy ass Gripen jets, means that everyone except Ivan wins

[@benh745]

Really badass that you finally got the chance to fly in that beautiful jet. Not jealous at all! 🎉🎉

[@Farweasel]

Neither am I (How do I colourshift the text to an envious green?)

[@Viper-dn8ix]

"And we're going to do it in style." I'd expect nothing less :D

[@robertsantamaria6857]

As a patron, I say with absolute confidence that I do not mind you getting a SAAB sponsorship.

[@MilitaryAviationHistory]

Thanks for supporting!

[@UncleJoeLITE]

SAAB Aero lol. Not the shonky car company, living in the shell of the SAAB Cars factory! _

[@Flygsand]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@UncleJoeLITE The second "A" in SAAB stands for Aeroplane 😊. The defunct car company was SAAB Automobile. The factory sadly no longer houses any car manufacturer. NEVS, the company that rose from SAAB Automobile's ashes, closed up shop last year. The factory was sold off to an investment company.

[@detskalldaltas133]

​@@FlygsandThey live the EV future fiasko in time. I buy a new diesel tomorrow!

[@huffy1949]

You've really outdone yourself this time. Bravo!

[@MilitaryAviationHistory]

Thank you :)

[@TzunSu]

As a Swedish SAAB driver, I'm really glad you got the chance to do this! Great video, very interesting and entertaining.

[@UncleJoeLITE]

One of those many fine, new, electric SAABs? _SAAB is a most missed brand, along with Triumph & Rover._

[@DeaconBlu]

Great vid mate! It’s fantastic that SAAB sponsored this flight for you! Well done indeed. Love the channel sir. Keep it up. 😎👍

[@rand0mn0]

_Exactly_ the kind of informed, level-headed reportage I'm looking for. If you're screaming, you aren't observing and "recording" (mentally) to relay to us later. Thanks for working at this, and not just viewing it as a lark.

[@davids1inwestholl45]

An AMAZING experience! And I'm just talking about the video! That's an incredible piece of technology. I thought it'd be organized chaos in the cockpit in an air-to-air battle. You both sounded so casual, like you were out for a drive. NATO is VERY fortunate to have Sweden in the alliance. I always thought Sweden was more of a naval power, w/ your super-quiet subs. I read how Sweden's subs won every time in the naval games w/ the US Navy...your subs "sank" the US aircraft carrier every time! Your subs even took photos of the carrier's propellers! The US DoD was so impressed, they "rented" a submarine & crew for a year or two in San Diego, to teach the navy how to work smarter in any underwater conflict! Sweden rocks!!!

[@NothingIsKnown00]

It seems to me like Gripen is a good complement to an F-35 fleet. The F-35 may be superior is most aspects but (apparently) have a greater logistics footprint. It seems logical then, that a rapid-response fighter that can operate from dispersed bases with limited support, fulfills a useful role.

[@Caseytify]

Yes, complementary forces.

[@doogleticker5183]

F-35 to Gripen: you have a beautiful body!! Gripen to F-35: who’s speaking to me?? You have a loud voice, very nice… Complementary!

[@goldiefish72]

Gripen works well in unprepared runways, far from the full tech garage (unlike F16). Fat Amy requires lots of high tech maint. Time will tell how practical it is away from a proper airbase. gripen/F35 mix covers both, and Gripen E should be able to talk to F35, electronically.

[@dirreeN]

I'd say it's a perfect match, gripen is a guerrilla warfare fighter that's designed to pop up out of nowhere and then disappear just as quick with no way to really know where it's gonna land or take off from!

[@NothingIsKnown00]

@@doogleticker5183 F-35 to Gripen: "Allow me to assist. You'll use your forward position to lock the enemies and I'll fire my AMRAAMs from back here." Gripen to F-35: "No, please allow me. You use that state-of-the art super radar to lock the targets and I'll fire my Meteors from out here."

[@einfisch3891]

Man, no one can deny that the gripen is one incredible looking aircraft.

[@finbenton]

Gripen-E with that camo paint in my oppinion best looking non-stealth fighter.

[@arudegesture]

@@finbenton Except Gripen-E IS a stealth fighter. Instead of physical geometry it uses active stealth. It's only got a slightly bigger radar cross section than an F35. Look it up! ;-)

[@JohnSmith-cy9tt]

Not all is about looks - but its sexy for sure..this killer is more stealthy then a F-35....and if you whatch the video - it kan track 10 targets or more at the same and 4 Fox-3 in one round...and in total darknes of the enemy .. the jammers on tis GripenE is a game changer - you cant kill what you cant track ...

[@rethla]

@@JohnSmith-cy9tt It can display up to 10 targets smartly prioritised to the pilot but it tracks many more. Also this is 20year old Gripen D not the brand new Gripen E.

[@gort8203]

@@arudegesture I did look it up, and the radar cross section of the Gripen is many times that of the F-35. Something like 0.5 m2 vs 0.005 m2. Please explain "active stealth". You probably mean electronic countermeasures, which is not stealth.

[@rhino269]

I have a massive soft spot for the Gripen. One of my fondest memories is seeing the Swedish ones for the first time at RIAT (RAF Fairford) displaying around the late 2000s/early 2010s.

[@bartonstano9327]

Saab will likely use this video to show to sales prospects, it shows the aircraft very well from a newbies point of view.

[@matsv201]

A newbie with only 10 year eperiance as a history aviation expert ;) There actually been a bunch of people that have been alowed to fly gripen the last couple of month. He was far from the least experanced.

[@GayTruckDriver]

@@matsv201 Handing over frames to Ukraine should be the focus, but I guess that is up to the our goverment.

[@matsv201]

@@GayTruckDriver while they are easy to fly. There still need month, if not years of tactics training. But I would supose gripen need less training than F16... F16 need hours.of training just to learn to land.

[@megapro125]

@@matsv201 ok, but how many of those people know how to properly produce an engaging video out of it?

[@matsv201]

@@megapro125 well... I guess.. of the one I seen.. only one. But. Of cause. I have probobly missed a few

[@connorwinton4343]

Hope you enjoyed Sweden! It's a lovely country to visit! (there's a Saab Museum near Linkoping and and a smaller museum in Gothenburg)

[@SonsOfLorgar]

He's been to the Linköping museum, but I don't think he's been to the Göteborg or Ängelholm air museums.

[@connorwinton4343]

@@SonsOfLorgar I don't think he needs to after actually flying a Gripen but for us those two are as close as we'll probably get(linkoping has the flight sim)

[@alvinnorin8820]

@@connorwinton4343lmao

[@PeterOConnell-pq6io]

As an essentially monoglot American ( though I can make myself barely intelligable in French) it never ceases to amaze me how facile many/most Europeans are speaking English. You guys put us to shame.

[@chja00]

In the case of Sweden, I think we realized that our own language was never going to be viable internationally - which matters for an export-heavy economy - so having passable English is more or less viewed as mandatory. Schools treat Swedish and English as subjects of roughly equal importance, and there are other little things (such as movies using subtitles rather than audio translations) which give us rather heavy exposure to the language. Interestingly, an observation I've made is that native English speakers who move to Sweden struggle a bit with learning the language, because it can be hard to get Swedes to stop speaking English to them.

[@PeterOConnell-pq6io]

chja00 lol re: your comment about American's European langauge learning impediment, I've had the same experience getting my attempts to communicate in European langauges replied to in English!

[@andersjjensen]

The Nordics have always been ahead of the curve in this respect. Being sub 10 million people nations it wasn't financially viable to have everything on TV dubbed, so subtitles simply had to suffice. Low volume non-fiction books would never get a local translation, so if you wanted to learn about niche topics, you'd have to learn English. And then came computes the internet. Again, being small countries, many applications and internet sites chose not to translate to our languages because the return on investment would be horrible. Programming manuals wouldn't get a local translation until they were borderline outdated, etc, etc. The same obviously holds true for many other small or small-ish nations around Europe, but a lot of the former USSR captives started out on the back foot when it comes to adopting English as the de-facto second language. I must say, though, that the Baltics have REALLY jumped on the fast-track train in this regard, as good English skills is now the fundamental requirement to work in Scandinavia as a whole. Danish, Swedish and Norwegian is similar enough that you can get by in your native tongue with a bit of struggle, but since all of us now speak English that makes everything SO much easier, and basically open up the entire EU to anyone who speaks it. The Germans and the French were the last to finally "crack" and realize that nobody was going to bother learning their language for any other reason than government, legal or diplomatic work. They're getting there with the younger generation, but especially people over 40 still have a horribly thick accent, but do perfectly fine in writing.

[@slartybarfastb3648]

If the US had Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Scandinavia all no farther than one or two states away, you'd see a much more multi-lingual culture in the US as well.

[@m0rvidusm0rvidus18]

Remember they all get taught it in school and are swamped with American media 24/7 from birth, so it's not hard for them.

[@jaydawg-we6yc]

Sweden has some really high tech weapons, they may be a small country, but they develop modern systems

[@09csr]

I wouldn't say our stuff is necessarily more technologically advanced compared to say the F35, but what we (and Scandinavia in general do) is to prioritize practicality above everything. But there is a good reason why we are not in the Gen 5 or even Gen 6. Yet, at least.

[@LeutnantJoker]

@@09csr Welcome to NATO from a former German junior officer :) Great to have you on the team :)

[@DenDodde]

What? You mean that american engine running on a uk system with an italian radar? But at least the armaments are swedish right? *looks down on notes* Mhmm.. IRIS-T.. AIM-9.. Meteor.. Oh no...

[@Denzamusic]

​​​ indeed. We have to. Russia have been seen as the main enemy of sweden for a long time. Everything here is built for fighting in dense forests and heavy snow. Like archer for example hiding in a forest. Setting up for a shot, 30 seconds. Bom. Then they can shoot 1 shell every 5 seconds for 15 seconds and then it prepares to move. Another 30 seconds So in 75 seconds it can deploy and shoot 4 shells and move. Archer itself is not swedish but the upgrades and tech are.

[@TheCJUN]

@DenDodde Well, little Sweden has been putting out jet fighters since the 1950s, Lansen, Draken, Viggen, and Gripen. Add to those domestically developed military ships (Visby Class), submarines (Gotland Class), infantry weapons (Carl Gustav), artillery (Archer), etc. I think that is impressive.

[@davidsmith607]

I would love to see yourself and Matsimus interview each other about your passions and content making expiriences. Seeing Mat travel to Sweden to play with the CV90 shows that the Swedes are very welcoming around their equipment

[@brumby92]

Autopilot with pedal controls sounds incredible. Such a graceful machine.

[@dusermiginte4647]

All planes have pedal controls. (Rudder pedals).

[@brumby92]

@@dusermiginte4647 wow I had no idea. Thanks cat!

[@bennylofgren3208]

@@dusermiginte4647 Yes, but all aircraft aren't able to fly hands-off in altitude-hold mode on the autopilot. The point here was to demonstrate that the aircraft does the banking and turning needed to point the nose to where the pilot needs it to be, without the pilot having to use the throttle and stick at all, so their hands are free to use for tactical mission tasks.

[@dusermiginte4647]

Aaaw maaan! I didnt read the "autopilot" word.. My bad.. 😂

[@brumby92]

@@dusermiginte4647 it's okay cat! 😺

[@TheGrace020]

What a awesome experience!!! Glad you enjoyed yourself here in Sweden :DDD

[@MilitaryAviationHistory]

I did!

[@TheGrace020]

@@MilitaryAviationHistory Hope you come back sometime! And that SAAB of course treats you again ;)

[@hansericsson7058]

Bulan is a legend in flying Gripens so now you got something to brag a little about when you have Jusine on the show next time

[@disekjoumoer]

The Gripen may not be as stealthy as a F-35, but the ease of maintenance and dispersed operations make for a very compelling argument in modern warfare. It would be a game changer for Ukraine.

[@alext7202]

Yeah uhmm nothing is a game changer for Ukraine anymore, it's a sunk cost fallacy.

[@gwtpictgwtpict4214]

@@alext7202 Ukraine has held what claimed to be the second most powerful military in the world for over two years now, the Russian Black Sea fleet has basically run away from the port of Sevastopol in the Crimea, its primary base. Not sure where where you're going with the sunk cost theory?

[@alext7202]

As an uninsured, indebted American this brings no joy to my heart. My country wasted 2 trillion in 20 years in the middle east and is now sinking even more into this financial black hole.@@gwtpictgwtpict4214

[@TzunSu]

Quiet, troll.@@alext7202

[@derrickfoster644]

@gwtpictgwtpict4214 the sunk fleet reality.

[@aar5pj]

Sad that Canada could not adopt this aircraft for its forces.

[@odinulveson9101]

What???? It would be fantastic. Did they not hire instructors to train pilots, or got costly? Maybe the US undermined the deal again I bet 😒

[@bgezal]

@@odinulveson9101 Canada had all but signed the deal when US stepped in and vetoed the purchase to be "North American by trade tradition".

[@2854Navman]

That was friggin' awesome! I'm quite jealous, I must admit. I did get to sit in the cockpit of an F-4 with a helmet on at an airshow many years ago with a picture taken. And I thought that was really cool LOL. Anyway, congrats!

[@MilitaryAviationHistory]

That is cool, hope you still have the pictures!

[@Aleksandar_M]

Would love to see an upload of entirely the flying experience too-commentary is great but this deserves a pure version upload

[@maciek_k.cichon]

And this is where few years of doing YT videos and a little patience gets you. Congrats on a great ride!

[@parrot849]

What a fantastic experience you were lucky enough to come your way. Years ago, I had a part time job at the Naval Auxiliary landing field at Monterey, California. I was 18 years old and cleaned and washed Navy Flying club aircraft for officers attending Navy Postgraduate School. I was lucky enough to be given several rides in a Tf-9j Cougar jet Trainer aircraft. That was a wonderful experience. With all the rules and regulations they have now, I probably wouldn’t have been allowed to a back seat ride today. Things were different back in the 60’s. A USN full Commander was the pilot, so I think he had the juice to allow me the rides. After a good part of an afternoon of ground orientation and familiarization.

[@randallparker8477]

Well done. Great use of video content, and "live" camera inside the plane with you, was well focused and steady. Thanks to Sweden for being open to your inquiries, and thanks to you!

[@mysss29]

brilliant. I really feel like I caught a glimpse of how cutting-edge contemporary fast jet operations are.

[@a5cent]

Wow! This was fantastic. Thank you Chris, and thank you SAAB! ❤

[@WeAllLaughDownHere-ne2ou]

I really hope Saab can get more customers. Its not a cheap jet, but jts easy maintenance, sustainability and ability to work from austere locations is such a huge plus for many smaller nations that need to protect their air space.

[@180life4]

The Gripen is the perfect fighter for Taiwan to replace its aging Indigenous Defense Fighter and Mirage 2000. The biggest hurdle would be politics though, as earning a new defense parter nation would be difficult for Taiwan. A new partner is also a massive gamble even if it initially succeeds since long term support could be hampered by a country that has yet to be shown as a reliable defense partner for Taiwan (unlike US) and faces domestic political changes. Regardless, I hope that Taiwan one day flies Gripens. 🇹🇼 🇸🇪

[@WeAllLaughDownHere-ne2ou]

@180life4 yeah. The US has a lot of skin in the game when it comes to taiwan and china. Watching taiwan buy a different jet than an American one would really piss off the US defense industry. Even if the Gripen is a better jet for Taiwan's needs than the F-16 or F-35.

[@TheLastCrusader22]

@@WeAllLaughDownHere-ne2ouThat's true in a lot of places. Countries allied with the U.S. "fear" (maybe slightly too strong a word, but you catch my meaning I think) that the U.S. will be upset if they buy equipment from others, especially something as expensive and prestigious as fighter jets, so they don't want to jeopardise future relations or future American willingness to provide you with arms, and so they keep buying American. It's a massive export advantage for the U.S. Even more so for a country like Taiwan that so fully and completely depends on the U.S. for its security. Fighter jet sales have tragically little to do with suitability and quality, a lot more to do with geopolitics and lobbying

[@DenDodde]

@@180life4 Wouldn't the KF-21 be a better fit for taiwan?

[@jchrystsheigh]

Absolutely overjoyed that you got to have this experience, Chris! You've earned it!

[@JohnSmith-jj2yd]

Watching you suit up any hop into the cockpit all I could think was how I was genuinely happy for you. 😊 Great work and you've earned it! 🎉

[@rodrigoquiroga8590]

Another excellent program and what an experience !! Congrats Chris !!

[@buckaroobonsi555]

Your honesty and transparency as it relates to compensation is great! You can never have too much integrity!

[@MilitaryAviationHistory]

Thank you :)

[@Musix4me-Clarinet]

Thank you for that. I've always been a quiet fan of Sweden's armed forces. I've always felt we (the US) could learn a lot from them. Thanks again.

[@kebrl]

Now we are finally allies for real. And the best thing about having allies, is being able to learn from each other's expertise, experiences, and efforts. Cheers!

[@Musix4me-Clarinet]

@@kebrl I hope you are correct. The US does not seem to be in a "learning" mood right now. Let us get over Trump and check back with us.

[@nocloo6829]

You've really gone above and beyond, Chris! Thank you for an amazing video! Can't wait to see what's next!

[@Duececoupe]

Being a Swede, who also worked for SAAB once, I love my Tunnan, Lansen, Draken, Viggen and Gripen, but....if I could pick an aircraft to take the backseat in, F-4 Phantom! Excellent video, as always! 👍🏻👌🏻👏🏻

[@andreasolsson4539]

Same here. Also a swede, but there's just something about McDonnel Douglas aircrafts. The Gripen looks like a high-tech dangerous machine, but the Phantom looks like an animal.

[@dawyrm1]

A single like is not enough for this video! 😊 Amazing content. I did my military service in the Swedish airforce in the 90s as the Gripen started to replace the Viggen. We never saw one up close, but we did get to try sitting in the cockpit of the Viggen. A few of us also got to follow one up, but unfortunately not me. Impressive machines and I envy you for having to gotten to fly one. Amazing that SAAB gave you this opportunity and so glad you could share it with all of us. Keep up the great work. 😊

[@johnmarken3945]

Awesome!! Congrats on your flight, getting up there in such a beast. Rare experience. Loved it

[@bagocross08]

Great video, always fun to see the F-16s I used to work on in your videos!

[@morgan5127]

This is an insanely good video with not enough credit! I can only imagine it's because the video name doesn't say that you're ACTUALLY flying in it.

[@RogerJL]

Video name made me skip over it several times as it sounded like yet another generated text to vice generic video.

[@UncleJoeLITE]

Damn! Chris, wow mate! Dunno what to say...cheers from Australia??? I've been here since you were 'a kid named Bismarck', talking about planes. Tbh, today I just feel so very proud of you & how far you have come. Truly. Keep going, onwards & upwards! _

[@rtgconde]

This is incredible! I've been following you for a while, and this is the pinnacle so far. Congrats!!

[@olovstener618]

Probably one of the best and most humble productions I've seen on KZbin.

[@Duskraven67]

you know, i always forget that you are indeed a licensed pilot as well as a huge aviation history nerd. which, now that i think about is pretty silly, but i was expecting you to fly up in a two seater trainer, not a fully functional modern military aircraft all by yourself. that alone, would make this a huge bucket list item for you I'm sure. so proud that Bismarck finally gets to fly!

[@maroon2k]

It is a two-seat trainer, he's not flying alone

[@Duskraven67]

@maroon2k I, too, saw the post he made the day after. Still no less awesome.

[@MatthijsvanDuin]

I'm confused how you got the impression he was alone in the jet, it's perfectly clear from the video he's in the back seat of a 2-seat trainer. In almost every scene he's having conversation with the pilot.

[@Duskraven67]

@MatthijsvanDuin the video doesn't show a second seat, and they are talking over radio. I assumed that the other pilot was in another aircraft.

[@maroon2k]

@@Duskraven67 The plane's pilot is clearly visible in the side mirrors. Chris isn't flying the plane, he gets to try the controls for a few seconds. Of course they talk over their headsets, what did you imagine, that they would take their helmets off and shout to each other? And someone with a civilian pilot's license of course isn't able to take off, fly and land a modern fighter jet after just a few hours of briefing. Even for an experienced combat pilot that would take weeks or months of training. And do you REALLY think the Swedish Airforce would leave one of its active, 100-million-euro fighter jets in the hands of a next-to-unknown civilian foreigner, or that they would even be legally allowed to do so? No offense man, but you need to work hard on your critical thinking, or someone will take advantage of you...

[@michaelguerin56]

Superb video. Thank you Christoph and Saab.

[@tonyforward6251]

Informative mini documentary without brash hype and stats. Nicely put together. Refreshing approach. Liked & subscribed.

[@T.efpunkt]

Great episode! Hope you had much fun 😎

[@granthostheflatulent]

Proud to say I designed and qualification tested elements of one of the most critical systems for JAS39/Saab Gripen. The guys at Saab were great to work with and I have very happy memories of that test programme. And the programmes success gave my career a huge boost (and a fat pay rise)... As a disqualified PPL student (medical reasons) I'm really jealous - would love a back seat trip in a fast jet.

[@kasperwittrup1288]

What a plane.. and to think Swedes made it just makes it even more impressive. Kind regards the rest of Scandinavia.

[@kebrl]

Älskar er danskjävlar ♥️🤝

[@AR-GuidesAndMore]

It is amazing to see how far your channel has gotten.

[@ollep9142]

Simply the best Gripen documentary I've seen! Thank you!

[@dennisfox8673]

That was tremendously fun to watch, and I just couldn’t help but think “Chris, you’ve earned this!” Well done!👍

[@pikiwiki]

That console looks so easy to read. Very nice and simple. Also, great editing

[@Errathetube]

What a great opportunity for you and for us to be able to take part in this. I would've wished though that you would be showing Gripen's fantastic maneuverability and its capability of pulling high G's. But perhaps you have more videos of that :) Cheers

[@hctim96]

I like the way the HUD corners are cut to precise 45 degree angles. Nice to keep your wings at a precise angles. Nice pilot aid..

[@dibblah68]

Excellent! Not ... Envious ... At ... All!

[@LastGoatKnight]

Same. The Gripen is definetly one of my favourite fighter jets

[@brianobrian6637]

Being involved in aviation pretty regularly from the age of 16 or so, I learned early on about Saab & their jets over the years. I for one would absolutely LOVE to fly backseat in ANY fighter. What an amazing experience! Congrats

[@thomaslundy5123]

You had perfect weather for this particular video.

[@Caseytify]

I've heard for a while that the Gripen was an excellent austere operator, but if I understand the video correctly, the E can engage in multiple targets the same way the F-14 with Phoenix missiles could. That's huge. It's nice to see multiple Western countries making these advances. This results in several layers of force multipliers, especially if different forces know how to work together.

[@SonsOfLorgar]

SAAB and the Swedish airforce started experimenting with, then analog, radio data links with the SAAB J35 Draken in the late 1950ies, the last version of the Viggen was essentially a sub-systems test platform for the GripenA and had a networked digital data link 😁

[@More_Row]

@@SonsOfLorgarYah, the swedes were early on that.

[@johanlassen6448]

All modern fighters can target multiple targets and have been able to do so for decades...

[@mikael5938]

Sweden had that ability 40 years ago. JA37 had datalinks and could.

[@krapfantasy]

he's not flying a Gripen E here, it's a C I believe. so he's not shown the capabilities of the E, I think.

[@cannonfodder4376]

Years ago, you were just a WT gamer, now look at where you are! As you said, it would be a most humbling experience. To see what you learn in a new visceral perspective and context. I am happy to have helped fund this on Patreon. And I'm so glad you took so much away from this.

[@MilitaryAviationHistory]

Thank you for sticking around and supporting:)

[@ralach]

You've come a long way from when you started the channel, Bismarck ;) Really good job, man, and good on you for doing this (and SAAB too, off course)

[@yuuzyerbrejn9603]

Great stuff. I appreciated the contextual placement of the Gripen. Not just the "lookit me go fast and get sick" type of vid but a full expose.

[@gordonwallin2368]

You lucky bum! How envious I am, it looked so amazing! Thanks for doing this one, Chris. Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.

[@normmcrae1140]

Viagra is NOTHING compared to how you feel when you push the throttles past Mach 1! I STILL think that the Gripen would be PERFECT for the RCAF in Northern Canada - They are EXTREMELY well suited for the cold and for remote field operations - EXACTLY describing the Canadian North. They are also smaller, cheaper, and easier to maintain than the F-35.

[@tatumergo3931]

Sex is highly overrated....

[@normmcrae1140]

@@tatumergo3931 Especially when you're going 1000 mph! 🤣

[@nahcurtis]

Legendary video, man!

[@ShadowVonChadwick]

Thanks for that, as a long time flight sim guy (Falcon4 BMS, DCS & others) I was always impressed by the Gripen, though we never had a chance to it model well. Great showcase👍.

[@exharkhun5605]

The part about focusing on the mission is a nice companion to Greg's "Human Factors in Fighters" series.

[@horsemumbler1]

I really like the instrument panel.

[@Tapio86]

The E has an even better panel. One wide one, instead of 3 upright ones.

[@markkeeler9995]

What a big smile when you got out of the plane.

[@Ficon]

Congratulations and what a great validation that your incredible efforts are seen and appreciated!

[@aidanlua8462]

I'm so glad we gave him the opportunity to fly in a fast jet and do cool collab stuff with militaries and defense contractors

[@trob1173]

I remember reading about SAAB's proposal for this plane in the early '80s. It looked like it was going to be a great plane. And it is! Congratulations on getting to fly such a fantastic machine! (So jealous!) Great and informative video!

[@LastGoatKnight]

As a Hungarian I despise the goverment for not letting them join at first. First of all, before and during the Second World War they let us buy their newest war machines, eventhough they were neutral throughout it. Secondly, our only fighters are Gripens, all 12 a mix of the A and D variant if my memory serves right (plus 2 trainer). So they're basically helped us when we needed it and yet OUR GOVERMENT, not we the people didn't allow them to join NATO. Still can't get this. We would still use the MiG-21 bis-es if they don't give us those fighters. Which is one of the best in it's category in my opinion, after all, it's an F-16 but Swedish, so needs less runway than usual (at the time at least) while it can manouver at least as well as the afore mentioned American fighter. And it has the same load capacity, more flares by default and, in my opinion a more slender look thanks to the unconventional delta reverse-wing design (a Bullpup design, if not understandable what I'm talking about). Anyway, with Sweden joining NATO, there MIGHT be a possibility that Putin or the Russian goverment or whatever will feel like they're sorrounded and may start a desperate frenzy which in worst case may lead to another world war. Let's just hope that it won't lead to that because as I sad it's the worstest case and hopefully at least the western side of the conflict will be smarter to not engage in this deathspiral. Can't talk on the Russian side though, bias or no bias I don't believe anything they state anymore

[@czwarty7878]

The people choose and support this government and the people let that happen. If government goes against people, protests should arise. If there are no protests, it means people accept what their government is doing. I see the same in my country, and it's a cheap cop-out to say "it's the government doing it, not the people". It's easy to say that and wash your hands from it. Government without people's support can't do shit, even if that support is silent and passive it's still support. Democracy is not only a set of rights but also a set of duties, when society resigns from reacting to actions of their government the democracy degenerates and rots

[@user-mv6he6gl8m]

I feel you my friend. How strange a world it is when Sweden and Hungary are at odds.

[@HJJ135]

Russia have already started a "a desperate frenzy", that's the reason for Sweden joining :)) not the other way around

[@LastGoatKnight]

@@HJJ135 Well, it really depends but yeah, I must agree. Let's hope the spiral didn't start yet

[@LastGoatKnight]

@@czwarty7878 there are no protests because the youth are abroad due to poor payment, the elderly is bribed with "free firewood" and what not and those who are like me, not interested in politics, that's pretty much shows how poorly it is managed. Just watch a video how politics are sorted on the people's level. Hungarians nowadays tend to steal more from abroad than the Gipsy here (a pretty similar situation). And due to propaganda and most people are idiots, not knowing the basics of things deciding to go with the current there's not enough passion or determination for this sadly

[@JonathanHStone]

I love this video, you're a terrific educator; making complex concepts understandable.

[@MrVinnyh]

As a child of the 1960's, I was aware of the Saab aircraft as something different! Having watched this video the Gripen looked a lot smoother aircraft in it's maneuvers to a lot of other NATO aircraft I have seen on KZbin. I enjoyed the calmness of the commentary and also the views from the air!

[@user-do8ul2zi4v]

It's ability to take off and land on surfaces that aren't tabletop smooth means that it doesn't have to always return to a specific base. I think the top brass in the US armed services have lost sight of what made a big difference in wars since 1940 - to have equipment that could take a beating and still get the crew home makes a big dufference.

[@benson4820]

Wait, they let him FLY it?!

[@rursus8354]

The smartest and most comprehensive video of the engineering product I've seen.

[@quarantinedarcher4348]

For someone who knows almost nothing about aircraft and such, your videos are quite approachable. Thanks!

[@MatthewDoye]

Gripen ought to be the standard aircraft for European NATO airforces with Rafale or Typhoon being the powerhouse bomb truck and F-35 for specialist missions. Each country needs to decide what it can afford but Gripen fills the low lifetime cost option better than any.

[@adriandaw3451]

I've always loved the SAABs since the Draken, even though I'm a Brit lol (I still love the Lightning best). This was a fascinating film for me, and filled in gaps in my knowledge that I had no idea that I had.

[@enriquekramer4590]

A wonderful episode on a wonderful plane with what looks to be a very capable pilot and team. One of your most insightful videos ever!

[@skyflier8955]

Woah! The autopilot letting you control heading with just the rudders is a super great idea! I’ve flown planes with only a 2-axis autopilot, and even controlling heading with a heading bug is a massive ease on the pilot, but making it controllable with just the rudders is incredibly clever.

[@mryan3123]

It's a shame that Canada didn't opt for the Gripen E, having chosen the F-35 instead. Considering the small number (88) of fighter aircraft being purchased, the Griper is the better option because of ease of maintenance, the ability to fly from roads and grass, the lower cost per flight hour, etc., etc.

[@mitri5389]

Don't be naive, Saab does promotional shows like filling containers with aerosol gas to show off how destructive their at-4 are. Same with thing with a promotional video with one of their apcs filled with gas. Also that time they shot a centurion tank with atgm... I've seen a lot of videos of tanks that blow up but never seen anything that was depicted In that Saab pyrotechnics magic shows.

[@kurtsoderberg]

And would have been produced in Canada, think of the +++ wins lost, corrupt politics.

[@BOZ_11]

The F-23 is a far better plane. I mean it's kind of a joke comparing them

[@loki76]

@@BOZ_11 F-23? If you mean F-35. Then no. It really bothers me how people lack the understanding of data/information technology in warfare and armaments. The Gripen-E rivals the F-35 in both those aspects. The F-35 only wins in stealth airframe. Maybe some other small detail. The guy in the video said the Gripen-E might look the same but it is an entirely new plane otherwise.

[@pliashmuldba]

Same in European Canada ( Denmark ) i think after the small batch of F35 ( already talks of more ) we should get some Gripen E instead, also as Americans are exiting the game it seem, well no reason to buy their products too much.

[@markus717]

CORRECTION: At 2:14 the pilot says he's putting on a wetsuit because the water temp is below 15C. He meant "drysuit". I have a Canadian Air Force version which I use for winter kayaking. Wetsuits are neoprene and very uncomfortable to wear as clothing.

[@kebrl]

That looks like a wetsuit to me. Also, how the hell would you fit a drysuit inside a G-suit? 🤔

[@Tapio86]

Drysuits can be made of neoprene as well. It is the neck/ankle/wrist seals and zipper that is the big difference were the dry part comes from. They are all exposure suits. They protect you from the surrounding environment.

[@mikequilty7710]

Such a neat video. Very interesting to get a view from inside a cutting edge front line jet.

[@alfredbester.psycorps]

It wasn’t. As he said, this was an older version. He was not allowed in the most current edition.

[@b.x.7834]

Fantastic! Glad you had this experience.

[@HardThrasher]

I am so fucking jealous right now.... Great explanation of the key points mate, really nicley done

[@RaDeus87]

Great video, been waiting for this one 😮 The only critique is that youtubes english CC is absolutely terrible, but that's hardly your problem 😅 It just can't handle your rather minimal german accent.

[@sargemarine3709]

I was 4th MAW, VMA 223 Skyhawks 1982. Later with VMA 542, and VMA 203 AV8B Harrier Squadrons. My Father was the best F4 Jet engine mechanic, on the USS Ranger, during Vietnam War, then after, taught the School on it in Millington Tenn. When the Navy fazed out the F4, he was asked for by the Blue Angel's C.O. to come and keep his shipshape ! It was the last active F4 squadron left in the Navy. He retired, test cell operator for them, and was a Blue Angel. Oorah !

[@kevansmith5511]

I loved that experience for you. I am jealous, no doubt. I think it will make you a better scholar, too, translating those dry words about flight into something you experienced. Thanks!

[@TheQuallsing]

Wow, this was a special episode!

[@Erik_123]

Is it really that quiet in the Grippen's cockpit or you fixed the sound?

[@SteffeL2]

Nice to see this clip from our planes :) Might've been "you" I heard during our lunch break last week maybe ;)

[@jrgenkauling8269]

I completely agree with you about everything you said,regarding the weight, as an infantry guy and not a pilot, a helmet also has a weight, especially with NVG so a Crystal is not heavy

[@semidemiurge]

This was an exceptional educational experience. Thank you, thank SAAB, and thank the Swedish people for we are now brothers and sisters in arms.