The Gripen is designed for performance, flexibility, effectiveness and survivability in air combat. The designation JAS stands for Jakt (Air-to-Air), Attack (Air-to-Surface), and Spaning (Reconnaissance), indicating that the Gripen is a multirole aircraft that can fulfill each mission type.

Flying properties and performance are optimised for fighter missions with high demands on speed, acceleration and turning performance. The combination of delta wing and canards gives the JAS 39 Gripen good take off and landing performance and flying characteristics. The totally integrated avionics make it a "programmable" aircraft.

Gripen affords far more flexibility than earlier generations of combat aircraft, and its operating costs will only be about two thirds of those for JA 37 Viggen. This is especially impressive as the Gripen is a more capable aircraft, with a low purchase price.

Gripen has a built in electronic warfare unit making it possible to load more ordnance on to the plane without losing self defence capabilities.

The specifications for the Gripen required the ability to operate from 800 m runways. Early on in the programme, all flights from Saab's facility in Linköping were flown from within a 9 m x 800 m outline painted on the runway. Stopping distance is reduced by extending the relatively large airbrakes; using the control surfaces to push the aircraft down enabling the wheel brakes to apply more force; and tilting the canards forwards, making them into large airbrakes and further pushing the aircraft down.

In designing the aircraft, several layouts were studied. Saab ultimately selected an unstable canard layout to give the greatest benefits to performance. The canard configuration gives a high onset of pitch rate and low drag enabling the aircraft to be faster, have longer range, and carry a larger useful payload.

Gripen is already in operational service with the Swedish Air Force which has ordered 204 aircraft (including 28 dual-seater), the Czech Air Force and the Hungarian Air Force (14 aircraft each). The Czech and the Hungarian Air Force are the first Gripen operators within NATO. Gripen has also been ordered by the South African Air Force (28 aircraft). The UK Empire Test Pilots’ School (ETPS) is operating Gripen as its advanced fast jet platform for test pilots worldwide.

The Chilean Air Force and the Brazilian Air Force have showed interest in the JAS 39 Gripen but both air forces delayed any involvement but Chile is certainly interested for the fighter to go with their F-16's and upgraded Mirage 5's (called Elkans and Panteras) to compliment their already strong air force.