Ukraine is preparing to radically change its air defence doctrine with Gripen fighter jets – aircraft capable of taking off from ordinary roads even in challenging airspace conditions. Under critical negotiations with Sweden, the plan is to acquire up to 20 modern Gripen E/F aircraft for its inventory, while receiving up to 16 Gripen C/D models as a grant.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted in a statement on the issue that the current air defense systems are insufficient against Russia’s glide bombs. Zelenskyy said the following: “”Russia’s aerial bombs remain a major challenge for us. Within a month, we are talking about thousands, not even hundreds. Their jets launch glide bombs from both Russian territory and temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory at ranges exceeding 100 kilometers. We have never had enough air defense assets to intercept such bombs. Using these bombs, the Russians wreak destruction across our border communities in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Kharkiv, Sumy, and elsewhere. Many cities and villages have been razed to the ground by aerial bombs. Therefore, Gripens with matching weaponry – particularly Meteor missiles that destroy targets at distances exceeding 200 kilometers – will help us keep Russian jets at bay, so they can no longer use glide bombs en masse.”
Strategic Cooperation between Sweden and Ukraine
The Swedish government has stated that it has set aside the necessary budget to fill the inventory gap created by the aircraft to be donated to Ukraine. Swedish manufacturer Saab will play a strategic support role in the negotiations for the supply of the aircraft and the replenishment of existing capacity. At this stage, Saab has noted that no formal contract has been signed nor any firm order received.
Commenting on the matter, Saab’s President and CEO Micael Johansson expressed his satisfaction with the cooperation, saying: “It is very important that Sweden and Ukraine, together with Saab, take new steps to give Ukraine access to the Gripen – one of the world’s most advanced fighter jets. We look forward to supporting Ukraine’s Gripen procurement process and the Swedish authorities’ acquisition of replacement aircraft for the donated ones.”
In such defence procurement processes, Saab acts not only as an aircraft manufacturer but also as a strategic partner for technology transfer and the development of local maintenance and repair capabilities. The Swedish manufacturer recently proposed a similar industrialisation and technology transfer model for Canada’s fighter jet modernisation programme.
Operational Advantages of Gripen Aircraft
The procurement plan is based on a letter of intent on air defence cooperation signed during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Saab’s facilities in Linköping, Sweden, in October 2025. A recent meeting held in Uppsala on 28 May turned that intent into a concrete operational plan. Given Ukraine’s current conflict environment, the technical advantages offered by the Gripen are critically important. The platform can take off and land over short distances, allowing it to operate from temporary runways and suitable road sections. This dispersed operating capability gives the aircraft high survivability and minimises dependence on centralised airbases. Moreover, despite its advanced systems, ease of maintenance and operation keeps the aircraft’s mission readiness rate at the highest level during intense combat operations.
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Source: C4Defence-Saab
