Gripen vs Su-27
JAS 39 Gripen vs Sukhoi Su-27
Comments of readers (Feel free to leave a reply on bottom)
1. Here JAS 39 Gripen is armed with AIM-120D AMRAAM while Raphael Dassault and Eurofighter both are armed with the superior Meteor system – if anything it should be the opposite since JAS Gripen so far is the only aircraft fully tested and integrated the system.
The data here is also for the original JAS 39 Gripen, the most common version today is JAS 39 C which can carry more load and has a more powerful thrust / weight ratio. (Yet a more upgraded version will be built with Brazil, JAS 39 NG).
2. JAS-39 should be compared with F-16 or J-10, while SU-27 should be compared with F-15.
3. In dogfight probably Su-27 is winner, but in Beyond Visual Range fighet Gripen should have adventage. It has better radar and technology, and also new versions use MBDA Meteor that is best Air-to-Air missile for maneuverable targets, lot better than American AIM-120 AMRAAM or Russian R77 Vympel. Also for medium range Gripen use MBDA MICA that is also good against maneuverable targets and it is fire-and-forget short and medium-range missile .
Gripen vs Su-27 Flight Cost Per Hour
Overall and BVR ratings
| CATEGORY | SAAB JAS 39 GRIPEN | SUKHOI SU-27 |
| BVR Rating | 81% | 80% |
| Armament | 8.0/10 | 8.4/10 |
| Technology | 8.0/10 | 7.8/10 |
| Avionics | 7.9/10 | 8.0/10 |
| Maneuverability | 9.0/10 | 9.4/10 (3D Thrust) |
| Rate of Climb | max. 300 m/s – 55k ft/min | max. 280 m/s – 55k ft/min |
| Thrust/Weight | 1.02 | 1.05 |
| Service Ceiling | 16 km – 50k ft | 17 km – 56k ft |
| Speed | 2.00 Mach | 2.00 Mach |
| Fuel Economy | 1.06 km/l – 2.49 NM/gallon | 0.26 km/l – 0.57 NM/gallon |
| Unit Cost | 45.000.000 USD | 50.000.000 USD |
| Overall Rating | very good | excellent |
BVR (Beyond Visual Range) Ratings
| CATEGORY | JAS-39 GRIPEN | SUKHOI SU-27 |
| BVR AAM missile | MBDA Meteor | AA-12 Adder (R77 Vympel) |
| AAM origin | NATO | Russia |
| Year | in 2013 | in 1998 |
| Range (mile) | 62 | 99 |
| Range (km) | 100 | 160 |
| Speed (mph) | 2640 | 2970 |
| Speed (km/h) | 4248 | 4779 |
| Radar | Raven ES-05 | Phazotron N-012 |
| Radar overall rating | very good | very good |
| BVR Technology | 80% | 80% |
| BVR Def. Tech. | 79% | 82% |
| RCS – Radar Cross Section | 0.5-1.5 | 2.0-5.0 |
Dogfight (close to medium range) Ratings
| CATEGORY | JAS-39 GRIPEN | SUKHOI SU-27 |
| Cannon | Mauser BK-27 | GSh-30-1 |
| Caliber (mm) | 27 mm | 30 mm |
| Rate of Fire (rpm) | 1700 rpm | 1800 rpm |
| Muzzle Velocity | 1025 m/s | 860 m/s |
| Size Point 10%-30% | 30% | 10% |
| Maneuverability | 9.0 | 9,4 |
| Thrust/Weight Ratio | 1.02 | 1,05 |
| AAM (first) | MBDA MICA | AA-11 Archer |
| Operational range | 0.2 – 50 km | 0.3 – 40 km |
| AAM (second) | IRIS-T | AA-8 Aphid |
| Operational range | 0.5 – 30 km | 0.1 – 8 km |
| Dogfight Rating | 74% | 87% |
Size Comparison
| CATEGORY | JAS-39 GRIPEN | SUKHOI SU-27 |
| Length | 14.10 m – 46 ft 3 in | 21.9 m (72.9 ft) |
| Wingspan | 8.40 m – 27 ft 7 in | 14.7 m (48.2 ft) |
| Wing area | 30.1 m² (325 sq ft) | 62 m² (667 sq ft) |
| Height | 4.50 m – 14 ft 9 in | 5.92 m (19 ft 6 in) |
| Weight | 6,800 kg – 12,6k lb | 16,380 kg (36,100 lb) |
| Power | 1 x 80 kN – 18k lbf | 2 x 123 kN – 27,3k lbf |