Ukrainian pilots test Swedish JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft.

Ukrainian Air Force pilots are testing Swedish JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said this during his visit to Sweden, according to Evropeiska Pravda.

At the final press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, he said that they had agreed on such training earlier.

“Gripen aircraft are the pride of Sweden. I firmly believe that Gripen can make our freedom much more secure. Gripen test flights with the participation of Ukrainians, our pilots, have begun,” Zelensky said.

The President of Ukraine also said that he had held talks on future steps that would open up the possibility for Ukraine to receive those aircraft.

“I will meet with the Speaker of the Parliament, representatives of parliamentary forces, and raise this issue as one of the key ones to protect our skies,” he said.

Swedish Defense Minister Paul Johnson told TV4 Nyheterna that Ukrainian pilots would also undergo training on simulators.

This gives Ukraine a basis for future decisions to equip its defense, said the Swedish government official.

He also said that several experienced Ukrainian pilots of the Ukrainian Armed Forces aircraft had arrived for the testing.

The SAAB JAS 39 Gripen is a Swedish 4th generation single-engine multirole fighter aircraft. It has been in service in Sweden since 1996.

Read more about this fighter aircraft in Andriy Haruk’s blog “Handbook: “Gripen.”