Saab may open Gripen aircraft assembly plant in Ukraine — FT
Illustrative photo: Saab may open a Gripen aircraft assembly plant in Ukraine (GettyImages)
Swedish defense company Saab is considering establishing a plant in Ukraine for the final assembly and testing of Gripen fighter jets, according to the Financial Times.
Johansson, the company's CEO, says that although it was not easy during the war, it would be great to establish at least the final assembly and testing of aircraft in Ukraine, and later, perhaps, partial production.
According to him, the agreement with Ukraine could double Saab's production capacity needs. The company is currently investing in expanding production in Brazil to increase output to 20-30 Gripen aircraft per year. In the future, Saab is also considering expansion in Canada and other European countries.
Johansson adds that one option for financing the Ukrainian project could be the use of frozen Russian assets.
Johansson explains that discussions were currently taking place at the political level about how much of the financing and risks would be borne by Sweden, how much by other countries, and how much could be covered by confiscated Russian assets, adding that no final decision had yet been made.
Sash Tusa, an aerospace and defense analyst at Agency Partners, believes that Saab has a better chance of increasing production than most of its competitors. According to him, Gripen's peak production was about 18 aircraft per year, while the company currently manufactures slightly more than half of that.
He says the most difficult thing is to exceed the historical maximum production level.
Gripen for Ukraine
On October 22, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Sweden had agreed to transfer 120 to 150 of the latest Saab JAS 39 Gripen E fighter jets to Ukraine. This is a long-term contract, as production of this model has only just begun. According to Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, the first deliveries could begin in about three years.
Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine chose the Gripen because these aircraft are considered among the most effective in the world, and their capabilities perfectly match the concept of the Air Force's development. In addition, the Gripen organically complements the future structure of Ukrainian aviation.
Back in 2023, Sweden began training Ukrainian pilots on these fighters. In 2024, the Swedish parliament officially supported the transfer of Gripen to Ukraine, but on May 28, it became known that allies had asked Stockholm to temporarily suspend the process. At that time, the main focus was on putting American F-16s into service.
