Air Force
Gripen for Ukraine: the first 16 Swedish fighters arrive in early 2027, with glide-bomb carriers as the main target
Ukraine will receive its first 16 Gripen C/D fighters as military aid in early 2027, Defence Minister Yevhen Khmara said. Their main targets will be Russian aircraft dropping glide bombs, and Kyiv also asked allies for Patriot missiles from existing stocks.
Ukraine and Sweden are continuing preparations for the delivery of Gripen fighters. Ukraine will receive its first 16 Gripen C/D as military aid in early 2027. Defence Minister Yevhen Khmara said their main target will be Russian aircraft that drop glide bombs. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence announced, after Khmara’s phone call with his Swedish counterpart Pål Jonson, that crew training is proceeding normally.
Khmara said that receiving the fighters together with their weapons would significantly strengthen the Ukrainian air force. He linked the new capability to protecting cities near the front from Russian aircraft carrying glide bombs, one of the most destructive weapons of the war.
16 Gripen E from 2029
Separately, Ukraine has signed an agreement to buy 16 Gripen E, expected to begin flying in the country in early 2029. The ministry announced the deal on June 30, at a ceremony attended by President Volodymyr Zelensky. The purchase includes the necessary equipment and continuing maintenance support and is financed by a European loan backed by the United Kingdom. Ukrainian pilots and technicians are already training with the help of allies, as in France’s programme to train Ukrainian pilots on the Rafale.
The ministry notes that the Gripen E’s active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and electronic warfare system will improve threat detection and help jam enemy radars. The new engine and greater fuel capacity allow a heavier weapons load and longer missions. The Gripen E can carry Meteor air-to-air missiles with a range of more than 100 kilometres. The aircraft will strengthen Ukraine’s ability to shoot down cruise missiles and drones. The first Gripen E assembled in Brazil recently made its maiden flight.
Patriot missiles from allied stocks
The two ministers also discussed urgent air-defence missile needs after a new overnight Russian attack. Ukraine proposed that allies give it Patriot missiles from their existing stocks, in exchange for future deliveries it has already agreed under its own contracts. “Ukraine is ready to work with allies through various procurement mechanisms,” Khmara said. “Every delivery of air-defence missiles and every opportunity to protect people and critical infrastructure matters to us.”
The ministers also discussed speeding up missile deliveries for the IRIS-T systems, while Ukraine repeated that it needs Swedish portable anti-aircraft systems and their ammunition.
