According to a June 2025 study by the US Congressional Budget Office, the F-35 achieves “mission capable” status between 50 percent and 60 percent of the time, well short of the Gripen’s availability rate of 80 percent to 90 percent (according to figures by Saab, the manufacturer of the Gripen, as validated by various air forces who have tested the plane, such as Switzerland and Brazil).

Though not directly related to mission availability, the cost per flight hour is also an important point of comparison as to how much an air force can be expected to actually fly an aircraft. The more it costs, the less flying you are likely to do. Here, according to sources such as the GAO and the RAND Corporation, the F-35 has a cost per flight hour of between $33,000 and $50,000 (US) (depending on the variant), while the Gripen has a cost per flight hour of $8,000–$12,000 (US).