Sweden to donate up to 16 Gripen jets to Ukraine, backs purchase of up to 20 newer fighters

Sweden said Thursday it will donate up to 16 JAS 39 Gripen C/D fighter jets to Ukraine and support Kyiv’s plan to buy up to 20 newer Gripen E/F aircraft, pairing an immediate reinforcement for Ukraine’s air force with a longer-term modernization track.

The announcement came May 28 during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Sweden, with a joint presentation in Uppsala. In a press release titled “Sweden to sell Gripen E/F fighter aircraft to Ukraine,” the Swedish government said Ukraine has announced its intention to purchase up to 20 Gripen E/F aircraft “as a first step,” while Sweden will also move ahead with “donating up to 16 JAS 39 Gripen C/D aircraft” from the Swedish Armed Forces’ current fleet.

Sweden said the package also includes advanced ammunition, training and maintenance support. The government valued the donation of the Gripen aircraft and ammunition at 22.2 billion Swedish kronor, or about $2 billion at current exchange rates. The ammunition package may include IRIS-T, AMRAAM and long-range Meteor air-to-air missiles. Training for Ukrainian pilots and other personnel can begin this year, the government said, and the donated Gripen C/D aircraft could be defending Ukrainian airspace as early as next year. Delivery of newly purchased Gripen E/F aircraft is estimated to begin before 2030.

For now, though, the announcement lays out a political and procurement framework rather than a completed commercial deal. Sweden said negotiations between its Defence Materiel Administration and Ukraine are ongoing. Saab, the Swedish aerospace and defense company that makes the Gripen, said separately on May 28 that it supports the effort but had not signed any contract and had not received an order at the time of its statement.

The split between donated C/D jets and planned E/F purchases is central to the package. The Gripen C/D are older operational models that Sweden can transfer from its existing fleet sooner, while the Gripen E/F are newer versions intended for longer-term modernization. Sweden describes the E/F as an upgraded variant with improved radar, avionics and range, as well as compatibility with missiles such as Meteor, AMRAAM and IRIS-T.

Saab CEO Micael Johansson said in the company’s statement that Sweden, Ukraine and Saab were “taking further steps towards giving Ukraine access to Gripen,” and that Saab looked forward to supporting Ukraine’s acquisition and helping Swedish authorities replace the donated aircraft.

Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post that the most important element of the new Swedish package was the Gripen combat aircraft, which he said would strengthen Ukraine’s air force. He said cooperation this year, next year and beyond would help build a Ukrainian fleet of Swedish Gripens. Sweden has presented the move as a follow-up to a letter of intent on air defense cooperation signed by the two countries on Oct. 22, 2025, and as part of what it called its 22nd and largest military support package for Ukraine to date.