MILAN – Ukraine is inching closer to obtaining Swedish Gripen fighter jets as part of its year-long quest to acquire the fourth-generation aircraft type, which is designed to operate from austere airstrips.
Ukrainian and Swedish officials announced Oct. 22 the signing of a letter of intent for the export of up to 150 aircraft jets to Kyiv, which could provide the war-torn country with an advantage against a wide range of electronic-warfare and missile threats.
Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson said Ukraine had requested between 100 and 150 aircraft, specifically in the latest E variant, and that the Stockholm government was assessing different long-term mechanisms to finance such a large order.
During a press conference in Linköping, the hub for Swedish aerospace company Saab, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated that the first Gripen deliveries could begin within approximately three years.
“We are talking about the latest generation, which was literally recently presented in Sweden, production is just beginning here. Therefore, we are talking about three years in practice,” Kristersson said on Wednesday.
Building and delivering 150 units to Ukraine could take ten years or more, he added.
Earlier this week, the Swedish Air Force F7 Wing became the first operational unit to receive and operate the Gripen E.
The E variant is the most advanced in the Gripen family of aircraft and is equipped with high-end electronic warfare capabilities, per the Saab’s website.
The jets could prove especially useful for Kyiv given the pressures of the war and the central role that dispersed aerial operations now occupy, allowing them to operate from shorter and more austere airstrips.
It would also provide the Ukrainian Air Force with the ability to perform air-to-air or air-to-ground combat missions over longer distances and with heavier loads.
Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.
