Key Points and Summary – Ukrainian President Zelenskyy traveled to Linköping, Sweden, today for talks expected to cement a landmark deal for Saab JAS 39E/F Gripen fighter jets.
-Reports suggest Ukraine would procure 120-150 aircraft, making it the largest Gripen export sale ever. Zelenskyy praised the Gripen as the “best for us,” citing its cost-effectiveness and unique ability to operate from dispersed locations like highways—a crucial advantage given Ukraine’s experience.
A Swedish Air Force Saab JAS 39 Gripen climbs during the 2019 Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford, England, July 20, 2019. This year, RIAT commemorated the 70th anniversary of NATO and highlighted the United States’ enduring commitment to its European allies. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt. Aaron Thomasson)
-The likely deal, a 10-15 year program, is seen as a strategic win for Kyiv and a possible consequence of U.S. policy requiring European allies to purchase American weapons for Ukraine.
-A letter of intent for purchase has been signed, according to reports.
Ukraine To Procure 120 of the JAS 39E Gripen Fighter Aircraft in Landmark Deal
WARSAW, POLAND – A large export sale of the US-made F-16 Block 70/72 Viper fighter aircraft to Ukraine may be out of the question.
Discussions between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Swedish Prime Minister (PM) Ulf Kristersson that have occurred today will reportedly cement what will be the largest sale ever or the Saab JAS 39E Gripen fighter aircraft.
Today at 1245 Central European Time, Zelenskiy landed in Linköping, Sweden to meet the Swedish PM.
The Ukrainian wartime leader arrived at Linköping City Airport and exited his aircraft dressed in his signature all-black attire: a black overshirt and a pair of black trousers.
Zelenskiy then greeted Ukraine’s ambassador to Sweden, Svitlana Zalishchuk, and also gave a hug to PM Kristersson.
The two heads of government then boarded a limousine and drove away from the tarmac.
JAS 39 Gripen Taking Off. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
At the time of his arrival, Zelenskiy and the Swedish PM were expected to discuss a possible export industry deal.
This appears to confirm previous speculation that a deal was in the works involving Ukraine procuring the Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft.
The Largest JAS 39 Gripen Export Sale Ever
However, according to Swedish TV4’s information, the discussions in Sweden are for the export sale of not just any Gripen model, but the most modern JAS 39E/F series.
The deal now being discussed is that Sweden’s leading defense conglomerate, Saab, would manufacture up to 120 or as many as 150 JAS 39E models configured for Ukraine.
This is a significant export sale for the Swedish defense industrial giant.
It would be more than twice the size of Saab’s most considerable export order to date.
“The intention to have a serious discussion about the Gripen for Ukraine is clearly telegraphed by the decision to hold this meeting of Zelenskiy and Kristersson in Linköping. This small city is the world headquarters of the Aeronautics division of Saab, and it is where the Gripen is designed and manufactured,” said a Swedish defense export who spoke to National Security Journal.
“If the Gripen was not at the top of the items on the agenda then this meeting would have been organized to take place in Stockholm instead,” he continued.
JAS 39 Gripen. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Peter Hultqvist (S), who is Chairman of the Riksdag’s (Swedish parliament) Defense Committee and is also the Social Democrats’ defense policy spokesperson, did not want to reveal any details about the topics to be discussed between the two statesmen.
What he would say was that the overall theme of their talks would be about “greater cooperation”.
“That is my assessment,” he said. “Otherwise, I do not think he [Zelenskiy] would have chosen to come here [to Linköping]. We see exporting Gripen to Ukraine as a very important and positive thing. And it is a very big thing if we can be part of building Ukraine’s future defense force.”
A Multi-Year Program Between Ukraine and Sweden
At a joint press conference at 1500 hours today, Zelenskiy and Kristersson discussed several items being considered for Ukraine-Swedish defense cooperation.
These will include Kyiv sharing its extensive experience in drone design and production with Sweden’s armed forces.
Kristersson also detailed that the program for the Gripens alone would be a long-term effort.
He stated that it would take at least “three years” before the first Gripen E for Ukraine would roll off the production line in Linköping.
“This is the start of a long journey of 10-15 years,” the Swedish prime minister had said earlier in the day while standing in front of a parked Gripen E fighter jet.
Zelenskiy was also specifically asked why Ukraine chose the JAS 39 Gripen over other options, and he replied in some detail.
JAS 39 Gripen. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
“We know a lot about your jet, but I am sure not everything – only Sweden knows everything,” said the Ukrainian president. “But we know a lot, and we can compare it with other platforms.”
Why JAS 39 Gripen Makes Better Operational – and Financial – Sense
“We use other jets that were built in Soviet times and also F-16s – not Block 50 models, mind you,” he explained. “Not ‘young’ models but older ones. But, if you look strategically on your air fleet – and we understand how you must look at your air fleet – but the best three models [for us] are the Gripen, the [newer] F-16 s and the Rafale.”
“Gripens are the best for us,” he continued. “We understand with whom we fight and Gripens are the best in the world.”
The major advantage of the Gripen for Ukraine is that it can operate from highways and away from airbases, as demonstrated in a dispersed-basing exercise in Sweden last spring.
“These dispersed operations are something that is part of our air force’s DNA,” Tommy Petersson, Deputy Commander of the Swedish Air Force, told a group of reporters at Skaraborg Air Force Wing in May 2024.
This ability to operate away from the regular airbase is what makes the Gripen the most survivable fighter in the Western world.
Dispersed basing was a concept historically practiced in the Soviet Union and was continued by the air force of an independent Ukraine.
When Russia invaded in 2022, the Soviet-era practice was continued, and Ukraine’s aircraft were diverted to alternate, secondary aerodromes.
As a consequence, Ukraine’s air force survived and was able to take the air war to the Russians for more than two years before western-built aircraft arrived.
The Saab JAS 39E Gripen is Sweden’s modern multi-role fighter, built specifically for versatility and resilience against Russian threats. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
“The current Trump Administration policy of the US not giving major weapons to Ukraine, but instead making the Europeans buy them from the US and then give them to Ukraine may have backfired,” said the Swedish defense expert.
“If the Europeans are going to have to spend a lot of money to pay for weapons to give to Ukraine, then they might as well pay to buy them from themselves and hand them over to Kyiv. This makes no financial sense. No reason to give money to their competitors in buying weapons for Ukraine,” he continued.
“This current White House policy is going to hurt the US defense firms in the long run. There is no choice but to buy Patriot batteries and missiles from the US to donate to Kyiv as there is no European analogue.”
“But there is no reason for European money to be spent on the latest model F-16 when they can use it to buy Gripens or Rafales for Kyiv. So this Gripen sale is a gain for the Ukrainians, but a loss for the US company Lockheed Martin,” he said.
About the Author: Reuben F. Johnson
Reuben F. Johnson has thirty-six years of experience analyzing and reporting on foreign weapons systems, defense technologies, and international arms export policy. Johnson is the Director of the Asia Research Centre at the Casimir Pulaski Foundation. He is also a survivor of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He worked for years in the American defense industry as a foreign technology analyst and later as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Defense, the Departments of the Navy and Air Force, and the governments of the United Kingdom and Australia. In 2022-2023, he won two awards in a row for his defense reporting. He holds a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University and a master’s degree from Miami University in Ohio, specializing in Soviet and Russian studies. He lives in Warsaw.
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