Saab JAS-39C Gripen Air Superiority

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The Saab JAS-39C Gripen (alongside its two-seat trainer variant, the JAS-39D) is a lightweight multirole fighter jet that has been operated primarily by five international air forces, seeing both peacekeeping deployments and active border combat.
 
Primary Operators & Operational Usage
Sweden (Swedish Air Force / Flygvapnet): As the developer and primary user, Sweden introduced the upgraded C-variant in 2003. The jets form the backbone of Swedish airspace defense and are heavily utilized in Baltic Air Policing missions to intercept and shadow foreign aircraft over the Baltic Sea.
Thailand (Royal Thai Air Force): Thailand operates a fleet of JAS-39C/D models under Wing 7 based at Surat Thani Air Base. They integrated these aircraft into their primary air defense network and regularly utilize them in joint international exercises like Exercise Pitch Black and Falcon Strike.
Czech Republic (Czech Air Force): The Czech military leased 14 Gripen C/D jets to phase out their legacy Soviet MiG-21s. They use them for domestic defense and regional NATO air-policing deployments.
Hungary (Hungarian Air Force): Similar to the Czech Republic, Hungary leased and later extended contracts for 14 Gripen C/D models to fulfill its airspace commitments as a NATO member.
South Africa (South African Air Force): Procured as part of a strategic defense package, South Africa operates single-seat Gripen C and two-seat Gripen D aircraft for tactical weapons training and continental airspace sovereignty.
United Kingdom (Empire Test Pilots' School): The UK's ETPS operates Gripens in a specialized training capacity for test pilots and flight test engineers.
 
Active Combat Deployment & Military Operations
For much of its operational history, the Gripen C was highly regarded but untested in direct combat. However, it has seen two major military interventions:
The Thai-Cambodian Border Conflict (First Active Combat) The Gripen platform's official "baptism of fire" occurred on July 26, 2025. Amid a sharp escalation of territorial border disputes between Thailand and Cambodia, the Royal Thai Air Force scrambled a pair of JAS-39C/D models. Working alongside F-16s, the Gripens successfully launched precision-strike profiles using guided ordnance to neutralize Cambodian artillery positions and command centers near the contested border.
NATO Operation Unified Protector in Libya (Peacekeeping) In 2011, the Swedish Air Force deployed a detachment of eight JAS-39C/D fighters to Sigonella Air Base in Sicily. Operating under a strict UN parliamentary mandate, the Swedish jets were barred from conducting ground-attack operations. Instead, they flew over 580 defensive counter-air and reconnaissance sorties, capturing critical aerial intelligence for coalition forces and enforcing the no-fly zone.