BREAKING: Sweden announces 16 Gripens for Ukraine. Here's why that's a big deal

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced on May 28 that Sweden plans to transfer 16 used Saab JAS 39 Gripen C/D fighter jets to Ukraine and support Kyiv in procuring up to 20 newer Gripen E aircraft.

"Ukraine has clearly identified Gripen as the priority choice for its air force in the long term and intends to acquire the newest version, Gripen E," Kristersson said at a joint news conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Uppsala.

According to the Swedish government, Ukraine plans to finance the future purchase of Gripen E/F aircraft using 2.5 billion euros ($2.8 billion) from the European Union's Ukraine Support Loan mechanism.

Kristersson said negotiations over the Gripen E procurement are ongoing and that deliveries of the newer aircraft could begin by 2030.

He added that Sweden would also transfer 16 Gripen C/D aircraft currently used by the Swedish Air Force, with deliveries expected to begin in early 2027 after Ukraine finalizes the purchase agreement and Sweden secures the required export approvals.

The transfer would further expand Ukraine's fleet of Western-supplied fighter aircraft, which already includes American F-16s and French Mirage 2000s but remains insufficient to fully defend Ukrainian cities and infrastructure from daily Russian missile and drone attacks.

"This is truly a historic event, a historic day for our cooperation and for our countries," Zelensky said during the press conference.

"We're talking specifically about a squadron of Gripens for Ukraine, and this is tremendously important support for us," he added

Zelensky said Ukraine expects to receive the "first capabilities" within the next 10 months and confirmed that Ukrainian pilots have already begun training related to the aircraft.

"Our pilots began training missions quite some time ago," Zelensky said, adding that Ukraine is now working to expand pilot training infrastructure and send more pilots abroad for training.

The Gripen announcement forms part of Sweden's largest military aid package to Ukraine to date, which also includes long-range strike capabilities, ammunition, electronic warfare systems, and support for defense innovation.

Ukraine and Sweden signed a letter of intent in 2025 that officials said could form the basis for a future agreement covering between 100 and 150 Gripen aircraft, though Swedish officials have repeatedly cautioned that deliveries of newer Gripen E fighters would likely take years.

"For me, the JAS-39 is the only fighter jet in the world I'd be willing to sell my soul for," Ukrainian pilot Vadym Voroshylov, call sign Karaya, wrote on Instagram last year, describing the aircraft as an "ideal option" for Ukraine.

Why Ukraine wants Gripens

The Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a multirole fighter aircraft capable of air-to-air, air-to-ground, and reconnaissance missions. Analysts say one of its biggest advantages for Ukraine is that it was specifically designed for dispersed wartime operations during the Cold War, when Sweden expected potential Soviet strikes against its air bases.

Unlike many Western fighter jets that rely on large, heavily prepared runways, the Gripen can operate from shorter runways and even stretches of highway, making it less vulnerable to Russian missile attacks on airfields.

"The Swedish Air Force has put a lot of effort into, since World War II, being able to maintain aircraft in the field, simply using conscript airmen, which makes it much easier," Peter Layton, a military expert at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), told the Kyiv Independent.

The aircraft is also designed for rapid turnaround times. According to Saab and Ukrainian pilot Voroshylov, a Gripen can be refueled and rearmed for a second sortie in roughly 10 minutes under ideal conditions.

Voroshylov also highlighted the aircraft's side-mounted air intakes, which reduce the risk of debris being sucked into the engine – a potentially important advantage for Ukrainian airfields frequently damaged by Russian strikes.

The Gripen can carry a broad range of NATO weapons, including IRIS-T, AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-120 AMRAAM, and Meteor air-to-air missiles.

"One of the advantages of the Gripen over the F-16 is its ability to carry the Meteor air-to-air missile," military historian and weapons expert Andrii Kharuk told the Kyiv Independent.

Justin Bronk, senior research fellow at RUSI, said the Meteor missile could help Ukraine better counter Russian glide bomb attacks carried out by Su-34 aircraft operating behind the front line.

"Only the Meteor has a suitable effective range to threaten Su-34 aircraft launching glide bombs 60-100 kilometers behind the front line," Bronk told the Kyiv Independent.

Bronk added that the AMRAAM missiles currently supplied for Ukrainian F-16s and the MICA missiles used by Mirage 2000s lack comparable effective range under front-line combat conditions.

The newer Gripen E variant features upgraded radar and electronic warfare systems, a General Electric F414G engine, and advanced avionics including an AESA radar and panoramic cockpit display.

Still, experts caution against portraying the Gripen as a "miracle weapon."

Military expert Kharuk described the aircraft to the Kyiv Independent as "another useful tool that will help Ukraine," adding that the overall impact would depend heavily on how many aircraft Sweden ultimately transfers and how quickly they arrive.