The Swedish Armed Forces is set to receive their first Saab JAS 39 Gripen E fighter jets on October 20, 2025, during a formal handover ceremony at Skaraborg Air Wing (F 7) in Såtenäs, marking a major milestone in Sweden’s long-term defense modernization.
During the ceremony, a pilot from the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) will land one of the new aircraft and hand the logbook to Air Force Chief Jonas Wikman, symbolically transferring the jet into Swedish Air Force service.
“The receipt of the JAS 39 Gripen E marks an important milestone in the development of the Swedish defense,” said Commander-in-Chief Michael Claesson. “This is the result of long-term work and close collaboration between the Armed Forces, FMV and Swedish industry.”
“We are getting a fighter aircraft that is developed to meet a qualified adversary and the complex operational environment we must operate in,” Swedish Air Force Chief Jonas Wikman added. “It builds on the flexible characteristics of the current Gripen but with better performance and an advanced sensor suite that gives us superior situational awareness.”
A new capability for a new strategic era
The Gripen E introduces a more powerful GE F414G engine, increased fuel capacity, and ten external hardpoints for additional weapons and sensors. Its avionics architecture enables modular software upgrades, while the AESA radar, Skyward-G infrared search-and-track system, and Arexis electronic warfare suite can provide superior detection and survivability in contested environments.
Like its predecessors, the E-series is designed for dispersed operations, taking off and landing from short stretches of road or auxiliary bases, an enduring feature of Swedish air doctrine aimed at complicating an adversary’s targeting efforts.
The Gripen E will employ air-to-air weapons such as the Meteor beyond-visual-range missile and IRIS-T for short-range combat, alongside precision-strike munitions as the fleet matures.
Bridging generations of Gripen
Skaraborg Air Wing F 7 will be the first to introduce the Gripen E into daily operations. Initial training and tactics development will be followed by progressive integration into Swedish and NATO mission profiles. Further deliveries are expected to continue through the late 2020s as Saab ramps up production.
The Gripen E’s arrival follows more than a decade of preparation. Saab’s development of the new variant began in 2011, and a 2013 agreement between FMV and Saab set the foundation for production of 60 aircraft for the Swedish Air Force. Follow-on contracts have since supported testing, integration, and industrial readiness, including a SEK 2.9 billion ($270 million) package in 2025 to sustain dual-fleet operations as C/D aircraft remain in service.
Sweden has invested heavily to keep its Gripen C/D fleet operational until the E takes over.
In 2023, FMV awarded Saab a SEK 579 million ($54 million) contract to develop upgrades improving the C/D’s mission systems and aligning them with Gripen E capabilities. A year earlier, a SEK 3.5 billion ($335 million) agreement covered engine, radar, and avionics upgrades across the fleet, ensuring continued interoperability between the two variants.
From national defense to NATO integration
Sweden’s acceptance of the Gripen E comes shortly after it joined NATO in March 2024. The Gripen E is expected to reinforce Sweden’s contribution to the alliance by providing a modern, networked multirole fighter capable of operating seamlessly alongside allied forces.
Earlier in 2025, Swedish Gripen C/D fighters deployed to Malbork Air Base in Poland for the first time, as part of NATO’s enhanced Air Policing mission.
