Sweden and Ukraine eye export deal for up to 150 Gripen fighter jets

Sweden has signed a letter of intent that could lead to it supplying up to 150 of its domestically produced Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced on Wednesday following his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The two leaders held talks in Linköping, southern Sweden, and visited Saab, the manufacturer of the JAS 39 Gripen fighter, GlobalEye surveillance aircraft, missile systems, and anti-tank weapons.

Kristersson said at a press conference that the countries had reached a long-term air defence cooperation agreement, which includes the potential export of 100 to 150 new Gripen E fighters, potentially Sweden’s largest-ever aircraft export deal.

“We are fully aware that it’s a long journey ahead,” Kristersson said, standing beside a Gripen in Swedish colours. “But from today, we are committed to exploring every possibility to provide Ukraine with a significant number of Gripen fighters in the future.”

Zelenskyy calls Gripen jets a priority

The idea of supplying Gripens to Ukraine has been discussed over the past two years but was paused while Kyiv focused on integrating U.S.-made F-16s, which it began deploying last August.

“We have started the process of obtaining Gripens for Ukraine and expect the future contract to allow us to acquire at least 100 of these aircraft,” Zelenskyy said through a translator.

Ukrainian pilots have already tested the Gripen in Sweden to help pave the way for a potential export. The aircraft is known for being durable and comparatively cost-efficient next to fighters such as the U.S. F-35.

Zelenskyy added that Ukraine hopes to receive and begin using the Swedish jets next year. “For our armed forces, the Gripens are a priority. It’s about both resources and manoeuvrability,” he told reporters.

Kristersson stressed that no final decisions had been made yet but estimated that production and delivery of the first new jets could take around three years.

The Gripen, in service since 1996, has seen around 280 units built. Saab’s shares rose 4.3% by 13:47 GMT following the announcement.

Sweden itself has ordered 60 of the latest Gripen E model, and Saab is expanding capacity at its Linköping plant to produce 20–30 aircraft per year in the coming years. The company is also assembling Gripens in Brazil.

Before arriving in Linköping, Zelenskyy briefly stopped in Oslo, where the Norwegian government announced an additional 1.5 billion Norwegian crowns (about $149 million) in aid for Ukraine to purchase natural gas for heating and electricity.

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