Sweden planned for Saabs JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet to be a big hit overseas. This aircraft did not completely meet its expectations in the export market. The aircraft had mixed success in overseas sales this year. Brazil is a customer, but Canada is not – since the Canadians have chosen the F-35 on the JAS 39 Gripen in a competition. The Gripen is a fourth-generation fighter that has become the quality choice of second-tier air forces around the world, but Saab wants the Gripen to be chosen more by first-tier nations.

Gripen has a dark side in past acquisitions

One of the reasons for the slow sales could be that the Saab Gripen has been involved in various allegations of bribery and bribery during sales transactions at South Africa and Brazil. Although these accusations occurred years ago and some situations involved the suppliers and not Saab itself, it casts a shadow over international sales.

Brazil is in love with the Gripen

Brazil is still a Gripen customer despite the scandal involving the administration of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. This spring, Brazil ordered four additional Gripens in addition to the 36 purchased in 2014 with a $4.7 billion deal. The Brazilians may even order 30 more Gripens in the future. The set of four may cost Brazil $60 million each. If they order the additional 30 fighters, the price could rise to at least $1.8 billion to be one of the most expensive arms deals in South American history.

Defeat against F-35 in Canada

The continued purchase from Brazil is good for Saab, but the real price would have been a sale to Canada to replace its CF-18. The Gripen was runner-up in a fighter competition against the F-35, but the Lockheed Martin Lightning II was the eventual winner, handing Saab a defeat in a potential deal with a major NATO partner. Canada could potentially buy up to 88 F-35s if a final deal can be reached.

JAS 39: it still has solid specifications

The Gripen comes in the ‘VS‘ and ‘E‘, and both need upgrades to make the aircraft relevant over the next decade. The E model is bigger than the C and it holds more fuel. The E also has a larger General Electric engine. The Gripen C can carry four Meteor air-to-air missiles, while the Gripen E can carry seven. Currently, the Gripen C can reach a speed of MACH 2 with a Volvo turbojet. Its ceiling is 50,000 feet and its range is 2,000 miles. The Czech Republic, Hungary and Thailand operate the multirole fighter. Again, these are generally not considered top tier air forces.

The price must be right

What can Gripen do to improve its overseas sales? The lack of full stealth capability makes it difficult to compete with the F-35. For a fourth-generation aircraft and up, a price tag of around $60 million shouldn’t be the issue. The price is affordable for small air forces around the world. Additionally, Sweden and Saab allow for some technology transfer and the ability for countries that buy it to manufacture some of the Gripen parts locally.

Gripen did not fight

A major problem is that the Gripen is not battle-tested like the F 16. The F-16 is also affordable and has an outstanding track record in conflicts such as Operation Desert Storm and in post-9/11 Afghanistan and Iraq. That means countries that don’t live in dangerous neighborhoods like Brazil can order the Gripen and not worry about its lack of combat history, but larger air forces that have to worry about Russia or China can opt for the F-16 instead.

The Gripen is a quality choice despite accusations of corruption and lack of experience in warfare. It is affordable and efficient. The loss of the contract in Canada to the dive F-35 and its lack of full stealth features make it a cut below the Lightning II. The Gripen may still be competitive in the export market – it may simply not be the first choice for air forces facing major threats.

Now as 1945 Defense and National Security Editor, Brent M. EastwoodPhD, is the author of Humans, Machines and Data: Future Trends in Warfare. He is an emerging threat expert and former US Army infantry officer. You can follow him on Twitter @BMEastwood.