Ministry of Defense Hint: Ukraine May Receive Long-Range Meteor Air-to-Air Missile Carrier

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine expects to receive new fighter jets for the Air Forces, including additional F-16s, Mirages, and, unexpectedly, JAS 39 Gripen.

Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk, First Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, stated this in an interview with the BBC.

When asked by journalists about the types of aircraft Ukraine is expecting – F-16, Mirage, and Gripen – Havryliuk replied: “You have practically named the correct lineup, but I won’t specify when, which, or what.”

Lieutenant General did not disclose the number or delivery timelines for the three types of aircraft, nor did he provide details regarding the potential acquisition of Swedish Gripen jets by Ukraine.

In early September, it was reported that Sweden announced its readiness to consider supplying modern versions of the JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine after the war with Russia ends.

Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson confirmed that Kyiv has expressed interest in these aircraft. According to him, the potential deal would be a “long-term project” aimed at developing joint aviation capabilities.

Stockholm is “open to discussing” the possibility of transferring Gripen jets in the C/D versions to Ukraine. Jonson added that he recently discussed this matter with his Ukrainian counterpart during a visit to Kyiv.

Meanwhile, Saab’s CEO Mikael Johansson noted that the delivery of Gripen E is possible “over time,” but the final decision must be made at the political level.

Additionally, back in August, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke about cooperation with Sweden in the context of developing aviation capabilities.

The Gripen topic is not a new story

Previously, the Swedish government has repeatedly expressed readiness to consider transferring Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine. However, Stockholm temporarily paused this process to focus on the integration of F-16s being prepared for delivery by Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway.

In July 2024, Militarnyi reported, citing Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström, that the transfer of Gripen jets could take place after the completion of F-16 deliveries.

In 2023, Ukrainian pilots underwent familiarization training in Sweden on the JAS 39 Gripen, which included simulator sessions and practical flight training. This may have been one of the first steps toward integrating these aircraft into the Ukrainian Air Force.

The discussion about the possibility of transferring these aircraft intensified after Sweden joined NATO and signed the collective security agreement.

How many Gripen jets does Sweden have?

Currently, the Swedish Air Force operates 94 Gripen jets:

• 70 in the C version;
• 24 in the D version.

In total, the country ordered 204 aircraft, of which:

• 98 serve in the Swedish Air Force;
• 32 have been decommissioned and dismantled;
• 28 were leased to the Czech Republic and Hungary;
• 12 were sold to Thailand;
• 4 are used as flying laboratories;
• 4 were lost due to accidents;
• 2 were transferred to museums.

Additionally, about 30 mothballed A/B version aircraft are planned to be upgraded to the E/F standard.

It is quite possible that Ukraine could receive some of the mothballed A/B version jets, which might be partially upgraded to the modern C/D standard or even E/F.