BELFAST — Sweden announced today that Ukraine has agreed to order up to 20 Saab-manufactured Gripen E/F fighter jets and will receive a donation of 16 older Gripen C/D standard aircraft from the Nordic nation.
In a statement announcing the decisions, Stockholm said that Kyiv plans to allocate €2.5 billion ($2.9 billion) from the European Union’s Ukraine Support Loan to fund the package for the more modern Gripen combat aircraft.
“When Ukraine proceeds with the intended purchase, Sweden also aims to donate sixteen Gripen C/D aircraft as bilateral assistance,” noted the statement. The announcement coincided with a press conference held at Uppsala Air Base in eastern Sweden attended by the Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“The donation also includes advanced ammunition, which may consist of IRIS-T missiles, advanced medium range air-to-air missiles (AMRAAM) and long-range METEOR air-to-air missiles,” Stockholm also shared.
In a post on X, Swedish defense minister Pal Jonson said that Gripen deliveries are due to begin “early next year.” He added, “The aim is clear: strengthen Ukraine faster now, and build a modern air force for the decades ahead.”
The multibillion-dollar order comes after the signing of a letter of intent for Kyiv’s possible procurement of up to 150 Gripen E/F aircraft in October.
The plan to donate C/D-type jets to Kyiv has been under consideration for three years but was initially put on hold until Sweden became a NATO member state. Further delay occurred after allies told Stockholm to wait so that Ukraine could first integrate the F-16 aircraft donations. Kyiv has since received deliveries of second-hand French Mirage 2000 combat jets.
Prior to today’s announcement, Stockholm approved the donation of Gripen spare parts valued at 2.3 billion SEK ($214 million) in September 2024. Saab also received a $48 million contract in 2022 to upgrade the Swedish Air Force’s Gripen C/D fleet so it can remain in service until 2035.
Defense analysts have long argued for Gripen fighter jets to be sent to Ukraine. A report in November 2022 from the UK’s Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) defense and security think tank judged the aircraft “by far the most suitable candidate” of Western-manufactured combat jets, capable of meeting operational requirements.
The same document argued that the supply of the jets would minimize the risk of Ukraine being subjected to long-range missile strikes by Russia, while noting that the Swedish Air Force’s employment of “low level air superiority tactics from dispersed bases” are similar to Ukrainian Air Force missions.
Jonas Olsson contributed to this report from Stockholm.
