Ukraine could get 150 advanced Swedish fighter jets under just-signed deal

By Brad Lendon, CNN

(CNN) — New NATO member Sweden has said it is willing to sell Ukraine up to 150 of its most advanced fighter jets, the first offer from a member of the alliance to supply significant numbers of jets to Kyiv, which is seeking to upgrade its small and ageing air force.

The deal signed on Wednesday by Volodymyr Zelensky and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is a letter of understanding, meaning exact terms, costs and delivery dates for 100 to 150 Saab Gripen-E jets are yet to be determined.

But both leaders said it has the potential to be a game changer, not only for Ukraine – which desperately needs more air combat capabilities in its fight against Russia – but for NATO and European security overall.

“We are opening an entirely new and truly meaningful chapter in our relations — relations between Ukraine and Sweden, and more broadly, overall security relations in Europe,” Zelensky in a post on X.

“These are very cool planes, powerful aviation platforms that allow for performing a wide range of tasks,” Zelensky said.

“This will strengthen both Ukraine, Sweden and Europe,” Kristersson said in a statement.

Sweden joined NATO in 2024 along with its Nordic neighbor Finland. Their accession to the alliance – which ended longstanding policies of non-alignment – was spurred by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Fighter jets have been a critical need for Ukraine since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of its neighbor. At the time, Ukraine’s air force consisted largely of Soviet-era aircraft. While Western countries have come to Kyiv’s aid with older US-made F-16 models as well as a handful of French Mirages, those have not been enough to counter Russian air superiority.

But the Gripen-E is considered by experts to be well-suited to operating conditions in Ukraine.

Gripen fighters have the reputation of being relatively cheap and easy to maintain and arm, and able to operate in austere conditions – using roads or even dirt roads for runways.

While the first version of the jet dates to the late 1980s, the E model just entered service with the Swedish Air Force earlier this month.

Gripen-E models have so many upgrades that they are “in many respects a new aircraft type,” with new radar and communication systems, better sensors and the ability to deploy new weapons, the Swedish Armed Forces said in a release at the time.

Manufacturer Saab calls the single-engine Gripen-E “the game changer” with the ability to network sensors and coordinate missile launches among the fleet. At the same time, the jets have embedded AI capability, Saab says.

Each jet has 10 “hard points” to attach missiles that can strike other air and ground targets.

The Gripen-E will be familiar to pilots who have flown earlier models, it said.

That could become important as Ukrainian pilots have tested and trained on older Gripen jets and simulators, the communications chief for Ukraine’s air force said Wednesday in a report from RBC-Ukraine.

With that training, some observers have raised the possibility of Ukraine getting older Gripen models to tide them over until the E models arrive in about three years.

Still, Zelensky told a press conference in Sweden that he hoped his country could receive and start using the Gripens next year.

“For our army, Gripens are a priority,” he said, according to Reuters.

If the deal is completed with 150 jets eventually going to Ukraine, Kyiv could become the top operator of the Gripen-E worldwide.

Besides Sweden, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Hungary, South Africa and Thailand fly Gripens.

Wednesday’s announcement came just days after Zelensky’s attempt to secure long-range Tomahawk missiles to use in strikes deep into Russia was rebuffed by US President Donald Trump.

Trump said Wednesday that one of the reasons he denied Zelensky’s request is that Tomahawks require a long training period.

“The problem with the Tomahawk that a lot of people don’t know, it’ll take a minimum of six months, usually a year, to learn how to use them. They’re highly complex,” Trump said.

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