Ukraine Has Purchased 16 Gripen E Fighter Jets From Sweden

Ukraine and Sweden have agreed on the delivery of 16 Saab Gripen E multi-role fighter jets to Kyiv.

The transaction was valued at approximately 24.6 billion Swedish kronor ($2.54 billion), according to Reuters. According to Saab, deliveries of the new fighter jets are scheduled for 2029–2030.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy clarified that the agreement was reached with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. In addition to the purchase of the aircraft, the agreement provides for technical support for the fighter jets.

The Gripen E is a flagship light multi-role fighter capable of carrying out combat missions within a radius of 1,300 km. The aircraft carries up to seven Meteor missiles, two IRIS-T missiles, and a 27-mm Mauser BK-27 cannon.

The fighter is capable of taking off from short runways (800 m) and highways. After landing, it can be prepared for a new sortie in 10 minutes for air combat and in 20 minutes for strikes against ground targets.

The possibility of transferring Gripen fighters to Ukraine has been under discussion since the summer of 2022. In June 2023, Swedish specialists began training Ukrainian pilots to fly these aircraft, and in August, Zelenskyy announced a breakthrough in negotiations regarding the fighters. However, Swedish Prime Minister Kristersson denied any plans for deliveries at that time.

In late October 2025, Ukraine and Sweden signed an agreement to purchase at least 100 Gripen E fighters. Zelenskyy expressed hope that the procedures would be expedited so that the first aircraft would be delivered to the Ukrainian military as early as 2026, but Saab estimated that it would take three years to deliver the first fighter jet.

The cost of the batch of 100 Gripen E aircraft is estimated at approximately $8.5 billion. Kyiv has allocated 2.5 billion euros for the purchase of 20 fighter jets from a general EU loan.

Sweden will also transfer another 16 aircraft of the previous model—the Gripen C/D—to Kyiv, which, according to Zelenskyy, will enter service with Ukraine in early 2027. In total, the deal between Kyiv and Stockholm could expand to include up to 150 aircraft.

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