I think it's the opposite. Now that countries are spending more on their militaries there's more money in the budget for operating costs. The main benefit the G

I think it's the opposite. Now that countries are spending more on their militaries there's more money in the budget for operating costs. The main benefit the Gripen has over the F-35, especially now when F-35s are getting cheaper to buy, is the lower operating cost. If that's not an issue then using the same platform as other NATO countries combined with scoring political points with the US makes it hard for others to compete. These huge military deals are never only about performance and matching the needs of the buyer, they're also political. Gripen and its predecessors was developed precisely because Sweden was alliance free and needed to not be dependent on security guarantees from the US.