To start with, this isn’t a rant about how Sweden air suffers. However, I do want to acknowledge the problem of how Sweden’s top tier jets been on the weaker side ever since the introduction of ARH. Currently, Sweden only has two choices for top tier jet-JAS39C, which has the lowest payload (2 ir missiles and 4 arh missiles). The radar is rather weak, and it doesn’t have much advantage in thrust either. Many people say that it has excellent maneuverability, but it’s pretty much the only advantage that you have. AIM-120’s performance(weakest arh in terms of short range) doesn’t give you advantage in close range situations, while the mediocre thrust/radar performance doesn’t give you advantage in bvr capabilities. As for the F18C MLU-2, it’s better in terms of air to air loadout, but it’s still a very mediocre jet at top tier, even with additional bol pods(Same problem with Gripen, aim-120 is bad for close range and the plane itself can’t fight bvr). What makes it worse is that it only has the capability to carry gps munitions (unfortunately, Finnish didn’t integrate ability to use AGM in real life). To be fair, I don’t understand why JAS-39E isn’t added at this point. It’s not really “op” by the game’s current definitions. All it adds is a AESA radar, 3 more hard points for a2g weapons/arh missiles(9 ARH in total, which I guess you can argue is a lot, but gaijin will only give it AIM-120, which is pretty mediocre), better rwr and maws, and around 25% more thrust. I see many people argue how it’s not ready, since it’s too early for gaijin to add meteors or ew mechanics, but Sweden’s in a rather desperate position for new planes. Eurofighter, F16C and many other top tier planes all didn’t come with their most advanced weapons. Instead, they introduced the plane with weapons currently in game and added more advanced weapons in later updates, so I don’t get why it can’t be the situation for Gripen E.
Sweden do need a new top tier jet, but I do think it’s too early for the 39E.
However, a midlife version of the Gripen NG wouldn’t be too gamebreaking, as gaijin can choose what to give it, as the NG recieved multiple upgrades over it’s lifespan.
The current 39C is still very capable at 13.7 but it’s not meta or really exceptional anymore.
why
In my personal opinion adding the E version now just takes away a lot of what could be unique about it.
It would in practise be a JAS39C with AESA , 3 extra missiles, MAWS, larger body and bigger engine, something we just as well can get on the NG instead. The E versions biggest advantages in-game could be it’s EW upgrades and the Meteor/IRIS-T missiles, those mechanics aren’t in game yet so it would be better to wait until they are.
The alternative would be to add a worse version of the E and then when those mechanics and missiles come to the game increase it’s BR and add the NG underneath it with the same older things the E had before those additions. But this would just feel odd in my opinion and just adding the NG first and E later would be better. Especially since there isn’t much that can be added after the E either.
I’d rather have the 39E when it’s new weapons get added.
Look at the F-16i Sufa on dev, it’s just sad.
So get the NG first, and the 39E later when it’s weapons and EW isn’t miles ahead of everything else.
In my opinion we should have gotten the 39NG when the Typhoon and rafale got added but it’s never really too late.
Why not add the E without the features in the game now and then add the NG when E gets its full kit? This way players can choose to unlock the NG if they want one at a lower BR.
This way I can just not unlock the NG if it ends up being mid.
Also remember when Mirage 2000-5F was just a C5 copy paste with the ability to carry 4 Magic 2s? It took them 4 major updates to bringing up the radar up to spec and then like 1 or 2 more to add MICAs.
It would feel sad, there would also be a lot of reports sent in for things it should have had but couldn’t get yet. I get the point of not having to grind the NG, but i personally don’t mind it as it would give the E an actual moment to shine at release and not a half baked sad moment first to then hopefully get a “bump” up to what it should have been several months later.
Things like this is what i wanted to avoid :P
I do agree with the idea of JAS39NG. However, the problem is that gaijin currently has 0 intention of giving Sweden an actually good jet. Just like the issue with F18C and F18C MLU2. What I found really stupid is, even Gripen C’s center pylon gbu load which has been missing has been ignored, despite the fact that there are a ton of reports made. Whereas bug report managers labeled accepted the same month and later promised “ Will be fixed in the next major update” when someone posted issue about how KH38, as the strongest agm in game, is underperforming.
god forbid gaijin doesn’t act upon bugreports…
What’s your problem with the MLU2?
Regular F-18C isn’t great but the MLU is good enough at the current
Not like most top tier planes are missing most of their weapons and features right.
What I want to avoid is another Gripen C situation. Sweden got screwed over. They got the A and then 2 updates later they had to grind 400K RP (plus mods) to get one new missile. A missile that is also compatible on the A btw.
I don’t want to grind 700K RP to get the same plane but this time with EW. I would much rather unlock the E, play it if it’s good, and then unlock the NG once the E gets moved up if I enjoyed the E until that point.
The only JAS39C I’ve ever seen actually using the center pylon for ordinance IRL is the Thai version. So it’s not really something that is “wrong” in that sense and it’s forwarded as a suggestion. That just means that the option is there if the DEV’s feel like the plane needs it and can be justified getting it even though it might not be 100% accurate to IRL (one example would be the AGM-65G that the JAS39C never used in service but could technically use if they wanted to and the DEV’s felt like the vehicle could use the munition to get on par with others in the same BR).
It has nothing to do with “that other thing got something fixed faster” as it depends on if the thing reported is something it ACTUALY had IRL or something it COULD have had IRL. Additionally, tweaking a parameter is likely FAR easier than adding a whole new pylon, models for it, coding for what ordinance can be carried on it and how much drag and inertia that adds etc.
I’m honestly fine with that, the 39A is fun and if you want the AMRAAM you have the C.
F18C MLU2 isn’t bad, it’s just stuck between the good/mediocre category. As I mentioned, you can’t do bvr because of the high drag and average radar of f18c, while aim-120 don’t provide you advantages compared to every other arh rounds used in close range. The only good thing about it is the number of ARH and CM. In addition, it lacks the capability to do any CAS effectively because you only have access to GPS bombs and LJDAM. This is realistic like real life MLU-2, what isn’t realistic is that gaijin intentionally nerfed the double bomb racks. You have the option to carry 2 gbu-38 on a single pylon, but you can’t carry 2 1000lb Jdam/500 lb ljdam on a single pylon like all other f-18.
This has been the case for Sweden for years, it’s the same with the AJ37 - AJS37 and the JA37C - JA37D. If nothing else they could folder the NG and E (or heck, even folder the NG under the C so that there is no obligation at all to grind but it can still be added to the game before the E) to make the grind easier and depending on what they choose for the NG there can even be a lot more differences between the two. The NG has many different iterations so there is a lot for the DEV’s to pick and chose from to make it more unique compared to the C and/or E versions.
Yeah except Sweden players had to grind two planes (800K RP) and mods on the C (idk like 150K) just to get the AMRAAM. While Italy which also has the Gripen got it on their first one which was already in the tree for one update and people who wanted it already had it spaded. So for Italy it was one new mod (idk like 20K RP) and for Sweden it was 400K + mods to AMRAAM (~150K).
They could easily added the C in Air Superiority and then the A update or two later for people who want one without AMRAAMs at 13.0.
Yeah and it’s why it’s one of the worst trees despite having unique domestic stuff.
You’re forgetting when the 39A first came to the game, there was no AMRAAM.
They added what was best suited then and added the 39C when it was relevant.
Sure they could have just given the 39A the AMRAAM but I do like playing it w/ just AIM-9Ms
No I remember very clearly. I remember the outrage that the origin country was getting the worst version of their jet. I remember the lie Gaijin told that they would add the C to Sweden next update.
The manual on Saab’s website clearly states that the original JAS-39C can carry GBU on it’s center pylon, so it’s something that is missing, not “something that jas39c can do and you can consider adding it”
https://www.saab.com/globalassets/products/aeronautics/gripen-c-series/gripen_c_packing-iron