Flying costs are always up for debate. I've made a quick calculation based on real world usage in the Swedish Air Force using official Armed Forces documents.
My purpose here is not to give an exact cost but an overall and most average cost to operate Swedish air wings using the Gripen system.
From normal operating costs at around $5000 / h to the total costs of operating an entire air wing with infrastructure, personnel etc, as in being the highest maximum hourly cost possible. At $20000. Of course these wings do more than fly Gripen so keep that in mind when looking at the 20K number.
The two air wings in my example each fly two squadrons of Gripen C/D aircraft.
My calculation lined up well with a statement by Air Chief Micael Bydén in 2014 where he put Gripen flying costs at 48000 SEK including fuel. USD varies a bit but at around 10 SEK per USD his statement also came quite close to a IHS Jane's study in 2012 which identified costs at 4700 USD / h.
My calculation below simply took costs over three years for two air wings, mainly operating Gripens and split that with average flight hour production over those years. Note: There is an assumption with squadron flight hours, as per squadron data is not officially available, only total fleet hours.
Armed Forces Budget Report 2019 + Appendix.
Average annual costs for Blekinge Wing and Norrbotten Wing
2017-2019 each wing ft. two Gripen sqns: 650 MSEK
Minus personnel & infrasstructure: 211 MSEK
2017-2019 JAS 39 fleet ~ 10160 Fh / year mainly from six sqns.
Using 1693 h / sqn
640 MSEK / 3386 = 189052 SEK / h
211 MSEK / 3386 = 62290 SEK / h
Swedish Air Chief statement in 2014 (SvD):
"It costs us 48000 SEK / h to fly Gripen incl fuel"
189,052 SEK 20,000USD /h Entire air wing, 2 sqns, personnel, infrastructure
62,290 SEK 6,540USD /h Entire air wing, 2 sqns operational costs
48,000 SEK 5,040USD /h Air Chief statement on flying costs incl fuel
Air wing has more activities than only JAS 39 so info by air chief seems reasonable.
