Ukraine Orders First 20 Gripen Fighter Jets; Sweden to Provide Another 16 Free of Charge

Ukraine will allocate EUR 2.5 billion from an EU loan to purchase the first 20 Swedish Gripen E/F fighter jets.

Sweden also intends to transfer 16 Gripen C/D aircraft to Ukraine as defense aid.

The Swedish government reported on this.

“If Ukraine proceeds with the planned purchase, Sweden also intends to transfer 16 aircraft,” the government stated.

Training for Ukrainian pilots and technical personnel is already underway and will be expanded this fall.

“Ukraine’s long-term ambition is 100–150 Gripen aircraft,” Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson stated.

Once the necessary decisions and permits are approved, deliveries of the Gripen C/D to Ukraine are scheduled to begin early next year.

Last year, Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine expects to receive its first Swedish fighter jets as early as 2026.

In total, Ukraine aims to purchase 100 to 150 of the latest JAS 39 Gripen E/F aircraft.

The Swedish company Saab can produce 20–30 aircraft annually and is preparing to further increase production.

Ukraine expects to localize production of Swedish fighter jets starting in 2033.

The project is expected to cover a wide range of activities—from major assembly to the manufacture of individual components.