Ukraine Signs $2.5 Billion Deal with Sweden for 16 Gripen E Fighters
Ukraine and Sweden have signed a procurement contract worth 24.6 billion Swedish kronor (about $2.5 billion) for 16 newly built Gripen E fighters. The agreement converts what had been a political commitment into a concrete acquisition programme.
A two-phase delivery
The programme runs in two phases. In the first, 16 Gripen C/D jets from Swedish stocks will transfer to Ukraine from early 2027. In the second, 16 factory-new Gripen E aircraft are scheduled for delivery between 2029 and 2030. The roughly 24-month gap is designed as a buffer for pilot training, maintenance infrastructure and operational adaptation. Ukraine already operates MiG-29s, Su-27s, F-16s and Mirage 2000-5Fs simultaneously.
Financing and cost
Unit cost, including support and equipment, is about 1.54 billion kronor per aircraft. Financing runs through an EU loan facility with UK backing, while Sweden separately funds replacement Gripens for its own fleet. The deal was signed by Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Sergiy Boyev and Mikael Granholm, Director General of the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, with President Zelenskyy and Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson present.
What the Gripen E brings
The Gripen E offers Ukraine 60 percent more internal fuel, stronger electronic-warfare integration, compatibility with the beyond-visual-range Meteor missile, and a dispersed-basing design. That last feature is critical against Russia’s repeated strikes on runways and airbases; the Gripen is built to operate from austere roads and dispersed sites.
The long-term goal
Ukraine’s long-term ambition reportedly reaches 100 to 150 Gripens. Yet Saab’s existing commitments to Sweden, Brazil, Thailand and Colombia would strain production capacity and extend that timeline significantly. Even so, the 16-plus-16 package marks a concrete milestone in the Ukrainian air force’s transition to Western platforms in the shadow of war.
Sources: Saab, Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), Army Recognition.
