gggggg5

The Article 5 invocation resulted in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Eagle_Assist and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Active_Endeavour, that's all.

>Whenever Uncle Sam says “jump”, you’ll see all the small NATO states lining up to ask “How high?”.

Consider that small NATO states want to partake in this stuff because it offers their forces an opportunity to gain experience.

>STOL capabilities https://www.saab.com/newsroom/stories/2020/august/gripen-des...

Who really cares about STOL capabilities of the Gripen? Unless you're on a small island, you can build longer runways.

>Radar, note that's I'd said it's an estimate, based on the fact that it's the first GaN radar and has a wider FOV https://www.saab.com/markets/india/gripen-for-india/technolo...

Gripen E's radar being better than that of the F-35 is certainly an unique take. The AN/APG-81 has a 71.4% bigger aperture than the ES-05. While the ES-05 does benefit from reduced power consumption due to the GaN transistors, it still has significantly lower peak output power than the AN/APG-81.

Wider FOV is nice, but the AN/APG-81 can see further. AN/APG-81 is the better radar out of the two, and also offers better EW capabilities than the ES-05.

>More mature here means has been around longer in one from or another, since the Viggen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_37_Viggen

I believe the word you're looking for is "older", even though "more mature" sounds nicer.

>Supercruise https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercruise

The Gripen E can only supercruise according to SAABs very own original definition of "supercruise", and so far there's been no indication that it can do so while carrying weapons.

>RCS is an overall estimate, certainly not from the front as the F35 is designed as a strike fighter, but with a smaller plane, the RCS may well be similar elsewhere https://www.globaldefensecorp.com/2021/01/07/gripen/

If Gripen was as stealthy as you like to suggest, SAAB would be shouting it from the rooftops. Yet, they aren't.

>Fast software updates https://www.saab.com/newsroom/stories/2021/january/gripen-so...

Meaningless marketing speak.

Anyway,

> Ownership in this case means having the ability to independently run the aircraft without reliance on other countries' benevolence.

Good luck operating Gripens without relying on the benevolence of the US, UK and Sweden.

Uh, how do you plan to use dumb bombs like that in a conflict like Ukraine?

That would require you to be able to fly right over the enemy airfield, they'd need to have no air defenses whatsoever.

You'll damage a runway at the cost of a pilot (probably $5M+), aircraft (at least $10M), and dumb bombs ($30k each). Putting your total price paid for thousands of dollars worth of runway damage in the tens of millions.

> when a high intensity conflict with a real military power begins you can be sure most of your airports will be targets, which is exactly what happened to Ukraine, not even 2 weeks in the conflict

That kind of damage is fixed within hours at a cost of low thousands of dollars at most. Russia can do only it using incredibly expensive standoff-range missiles, spending at the very least hundreds of thousands if not millions to punch a hole on a runway that takes a few hours to repair.