Members of the Aviation Coalition - these are the allies involved in supplying combat aircraft to Ukraine - advised Sweden to pause the provision of Gripen multi-role fighters to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Points of attention
- Despite the current pause, there is still interest from Ukrainian authorities in acquiring Swedish JAS 39 Gripen fighters in the future.
- JAS 39 Gripen, known for its low operating costs, could be a valuable addition to Ukraine's military capabilities once infrastructural issues are addressed.
Gripen for Ukraine is again in question
Swedish Defense Minister Poul Jönsson made a statement on this matter at a briefing in Brussels.
"As you probably know, the aviation coalition has advised us to refrain from this step for now and instead focus on our early warning aircraft," he stressed.
Paul Jonsson officially confirmed that his country's authorities were urged to refrain from supplying Ukraine with a new type of fighter jet due to infrastructural and technical difficulties.
"I think it would be difficult to introduce three types of combat aircraft at the same time. Right now it's the F-16, as well as the Mirage," the Defense Minister explained.
In addition, Poul Jonsson emphasized that the supply of Swedish fighters is likely in the future, as the Ukrainian authorities have shown interest in these aircraft.
As a reminder, the JAS 39 Gripen (Swedish: Gripen - griffin) is a Swedish fourth-generation multi-role fighter. It was created and produced by Saab.
Gripen operating costs were the lowest among several modern fighter jets and were estimated at $4,700 per flight hour.
