Ukraine and Sweden reaffirmed plans to deliver the first 16 Gripen C/D fighter jets to Ukraine’s Air Force in early 2027, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said following a meeting with Swedish officials. The jets will arrive with a full weapons and support package, he said.
Sweden first pledged the 16 Gripen C/D aircraft on 28 May, alongside a deal for Ukraine to buy up to 20 newer Gripen E/F jets using €2.5 billion ($2.9 billion) from an EU loan, with those deliveries beginning in 2030.
Tuesday’s reconfirmation gives Ukraine’s Air Force a fixed near-term entry point for a second Western fighter type, arriving as pilots already fly the F-16 and Ukraine works to integrate French Rafales into the same force.
Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Ukrainian pilots and technical personnel are already training in Sweden, and that the early Gripen C/D batch will let Ukraine integrate the platform, prepare crews and ground staff, and adapt infrastructure ahead of the larger Gripen E rollout.
Zelenskyy thanked Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson for the cooperation and said the two sides also discussed the Drone Deal procurement framework and work on Ukraine’s anti-ballistic missile defense.
The reconfirmation comes a month after Zelenskyy and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson signed a joint defense declaration at Uppsala Air Base covering the same Gripen package, drone cooperation, and air defense integration. Ukraine has separately committed to buying up to 150 Gripen E/F aircraft over the next decade under an October 2025 letter of intent, with plans to localize production domestically by 2033.
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