The Swedish government approved the purchase of up to 20 Gripen E/F combat aircraft for Ukraine through the EU's Ukraine Support Loan mechanism. After that, Sweden also intends to transfer 16 Gripen C/D aircraft as part of bilateral assistance.
This was announced by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at an air base in Uppsala on Thursday, according to Ukrinform's correspondent.
Ulf Kristersson said that Ukraine had clearly identified the Saab JAS 39 Gripen as its priority for long-term air defense and wanted to purchase the newest Gripen E model. He stated that, at the first stage, the agreement between Sweden and Ukraine provided for the purchase of 20 new Gripen E aircraft.
According to Kristersson, negotiations were still ongoing, but the goal was to quickly conclude a full agreement that would allow deliveries to begin in 2030.
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