As a Finn, I trust that the procurement organization made the correct choice, and from what I can gather as a lay person the F-35 seems like a significantly mor

As a Finn, I trust that the procurement organization made the correct choice, and from what I can gather as a lay person the F-35 seems like a significantly more capable platform. However, the Gripen is certainly a very interesting aircraft, like you say, designed to be operated from makeshift airstrips and maintained by conscripts. It's also amazing how a small country like Sweden with a fairly limited budget has managed to create a competitive fighter. Though the engine and many of the weapons systems are US or European, but still. I'd like to think that if F-35 weren't available, Gripen would have been a very strong, if not the strongest, contender.