Ukraine will receive 36 Gripen: but not soon

Ukraine agreed with Sweden about delivery and purchase 36 Gripen fighters. But new aircraft are not expected immediately: some aircraft may arrive earlier, but modern ones Gripen E/F – only with 2030.

Ukraine And Sweden took the next step in the supply of fighter jets JAS-39 Gripen. According to the President Vladimir Zelensky and the Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf KristerssonKyiv expects to receive a total 36 aircraft: 20 new Gripen E/F planned to purchase, and even before 16 Gripen C/D fighters Sweden intends to transfer it as military aid.

Last year, the parties signed a letter of intent, which paved the way for a possible sale to Ukraine of up to 150 Saab Gripen fighters new version. Now we are talking about the first concrete stage of this program. At the same time, the delivery dates show that this is not an immediate strengthening of Ukrainian aviation, but a long-term project.

Ukrajina namerava kupiti do 20 najnovejših švedskih lovskih letal gripen, 16 starejših modelov teh lovcev pa bo Ukrajini gift Švedska.

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Gripen C/Dwhich Sweden can transfer from its own fleet, are considered as a temporary solution to strengthen Ukrainian air defense and aviation. These aircraft may arrive earlier than new aircraft, approximately already in 2027. But the supply of new ones Gripen E/F are only expected from about 2030.

What exactly will Ukraine get?

According to the stated plans, Ukraine will purchase 20 new Gripen E/F. These aircraft are a more modern version of the Swedish fighter and in terms of electronics are comparable to modern European combat platforms, although due to their size they have limitations in range and volume of weapons.

Even before 16 Gripen C/D Sweden intends to pass as a faster solution. These vehicles belong to the previous generation, but remain combat-ready and are considered comparable to American ones F-16 C/D. An important advantage of Swedish fighters is integration with the missile Meteorwhich seriously expands the capabilities of air combat at long distances.

For Ukraine The Gripen is also interesting because this aircraft was designed to operate from dispersed airfields, including roads and temporary sites. For a country whose airfield infrastructure is under constant threat of attack, this is not a detail, but a matter of aviation survivability.

Who will pay for the planes?

Zelensky stated that Ukraine has allocated about 2.5 billion euros from a package of European loans in the amount of 90 billion euros. This means that the financing of the deal actually falls on the European lending mechanism, which will serve the countries European Union.

It is this moment that is important for Greece: participation in the pan-European loan package means that the costs of military support for Ukraine in one form or another are distributed among European taxpayers. That is, Kyiv buys the planes, but the financial structure is based on European money. What a surprise: the war again turned out to be expensive not only for those who fight.

According to Kristersson, Gripen is the “best and optimal choice” for Ukraine. At a joint press conference at the airbase in Uppsala he called the deal a new major step in defense cooperation between Kyiv and Stockholm.

150 fighters – a goal for years

Zelensky stated that Ukraine intends to acquire all 150 fightersprovided for in the initial letter of intent. However, this figure refers to the long-term program, and not to the immediate supply.

Even if the political decision is maintained and funding is found, a park of this scale cannot be formed in one or two years. It’s about the horizon 2030s. Therefore, a loud figure 150 Gripen sounds impressive, but in a military sense it is a bet not only on the current phase of the war, but on the future of Ukrainian aviation and the post-war security architecture.

The main practical effect in the coming years can be given precisely by Gripen C/Dif their transfer actually takes place within the stated time frame. New Gripen E/F – this is already the story of the next decade, with production, pilot training, infrastructure, weapons and maintenance.

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