Ukraine plans to buy 120–150 new Swedish Gripen E fighter jets – Deal details
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ulf Kristersson (t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official)
Sweden will sell Ukraine between 120 and 150 modern Saab JAS 39 Gripen E fighter jets. Production has already begun, and the entire deal is expected to span 10 to 15 years, TV4 Nyheterna reports.
He emphasized that the two countries have signed a memorandum of intent — the number of aircraft involved is twice as large as Sweden’s biggest export order to date.
"This is the beginning of a long journey, but it brings us closer to a major export deal for Saab and for Sweden with Ukraine," Kristersson said.
For now, Sweden can sell just over ten Gripen C/D fighters.
"This opens major opportunities for the future air force of Ukraine, as well as for Sweden and the Swedish defense industry," the Swedish Prime Minister added.
Zelenskyy's visit to Sweden
Today, October 22, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy landed at Linköping Airport, where Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson welcomed him.
The meeting took place at Saab's office in Linköping. The two leaders discussed Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the deepening of defense cooperation between the two countries.
About the Gripen fighter jet
The Gripen E (Saab JAS 39E) is a modern multirole fighter designed for missions in the air, on land, and at sea. It can both intercept targets and carry out precision strikes.
The aircraft was developed to operate in environments with limited infrastructure — it can take off from short runways, including temporary airstrips or highways.
Its electronic warfare systems and advanced AESA Raven ES-05 radar enable the Gripen E to effectively counter enemy fighters and air defense systems.
The Swedish jet can also launch Western air-to-air Meteor missiles with a range of over 100 km, giving it an advantage over most Russian aircraft.
In 2023, Sweden allowed Ukrainian pilots to train on Gripen fighters. Later, the Swedish parliament approved the potential transfer of these jets to Ukraine.
However, on May 28, 2024, Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson said that Western partners had asked Stockholm to wait with transferring the Gripens, as the focus at that time was on deploying F-16s in Ukraine.
In 2025, Sweden for the first time deployed its Gripen fighters in a NATO operation outside its territory to patrol Polish airspace.
