Training of Ukrainian pilots and technical personnel on Swedish Gripen fighters has already begun and will expand this fall, Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson said on X. The training advances a deal Sweden firmed up this week: Ukraine plans to buy up to 20 new Gripen E/F jets with €2.5 billion (about $2.7 billion) from an EU loan.
Meanwhile, Sweden intends to transfer 16 older Gripen C/D jets as bilateral aid once the purchase begins, the Swedish government reported.
The package is the first concrete tranche within a broader framework, signed in October 2025, for up to 150 Gripen jets over the next decade.
"Gripen C/D answers urgent needs. Gripen E/F builds the future," he wrote, framing the two variants as Ukraine's present and future air power.
Purchase and transfer: Up to 36 jets to start
The 16 Gripen C/D jets, the backbone of Sweden's own air force for nearly 20 years and in service with several countries, would arrive as direct aid, while the 20 Gripen E/F represent the newer generation.
Saab can produce 20 to 30 aircraft a year and is building a delivery schedule around Ukraine's requirements, Euromaidan Press reported. Ukraine also aims to localize Gripen production from 2033.
Built to fight outnumbered from dispersed bases
Jonson said the Gripen was designed for a country that might have to "fight outnumbered, under pressure and from dispersed bases", a description that closely matches Ukraine's war, with its premium on high readiness, rapid turnaround, and operations under constant threat.
The Gripen C/D can carry the long-range Meteor air-to-air missile, which, according to ArmyInform, could allow Ukraine to push Russian aircraft launching guided glide bombs (KABs) farther back from the front.
What Gripen E brings
The Gripen E, named for the griffin, a mythical creature symbolizing might and vigilance, is powered by a General Electric F414G engine, giving a top speed near Mach 2 and a combat radius of over 800 kilometers.
It carries the Raven ES-05 AESA radar, the Saab Arexis electronic-warfare suite, and up to 7.2 tonnes of payload across 10 hardpoints, including Meteor and IRIS-T missiles.
In May 2025, the Gripen E became the first fighter flown under artificial-intelligence control, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry noted.
