Ukraine's Historic Acquisition of 150 Swedish Gripen Fighter Jets: Strategic Military Deal Explained

Gripen, the Swedish fighter jet whose name means "Griffin," has been in active service since 1996.

Stockholm:

In a significant development, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a letter of intent on Wednesday regarding the potential export of up to 150 Saab Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine. The signing took place in Linkoping, southern Sweden, where these advanced aircraft are manufactured.

The Gripen is classified as a fourth-generation light single-engine supersonic fighter jet. It functions as a multi-role aircraft, engineered for various missions including air-to-air combat, aerial bombing, and reconnaissance operations. Military experts regard it as an effective low-cost alternative compared to the more expensive fifth-generation aircraft such as the F-35.

Though bearing the name of the mythical Griffin creature in Swedish, the Gripen has evolved considerably since its 1996 introduction through multiple upgrades. The Swedish Air Force received its first plane of the latest Gripen E version in October. The total production of Gripen jets has exceeded 280 units.

According to Swedish media reports, Gripen jets experienced their first direct combat deployment this year when Thailand utilized them during confrontations with Cambodia. Previously, the aircraft primarily served in air policing missions, including deployment to Poland in 2025 as part of NATO's allied airspace patrol operations. The fighter also participated in enforcing NATO's no-fly zone over Libya in 2014.

Sweden, which remained neutral until joining the EU in 1995 and militarily unaligned until becoming a NATO member in 2024, has depended on Saab for its air force requirements since World War Two. The decision to develop the Gripen was made in the 1980s.

The Gripen competes in the international market with Lockheed Martin's F-35 and F-16, Dassault Aviation's Rafale, and the Eurofighter. It has been successfully exported to South Africa, Thailand, Brazil, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. Colombia has also recently decided to purchase the aircraft.

The Gripen E model measures just over 15 meters in length and weighs 16.5 tonnes. One of its notable features is operational efficiency – it can refuel, rearm, and return to the air within 10-20 minutes after landing. The aircraft is also capable of operating from relatively rough airstrips, enhancing its tactical flexibility.