In the race for air superiority, Ukraine targets Gripen jets

Ukraine will receive its first F-16 fighter jets in the coming weeks. However, the authorities are not ceasing their efforts to acquire similar aircraft from the West, primarily the Mirage 2000 and the JAS-39 Gripen. Which of these planes will perform best in combat against the Russians?

Roman Svitan expressed an interesting opinion. The Ukrainian military expert and reserve colonel emphasized that the capabilities of individual fighters related to carrying weapons will play a very significant role. F-16, Mirage 2000, and Gripen are adapted for different types of missiles and bombs.

The latter is particularly noteworthy because it can carry both European and American weaponry. Moreover, although the Swedish machine is slightly smaller than the F-16, it can take off with almost the same amount of armament (in terms of weight).

"Each aircraft can carry a specific range of weaponry. For example, the Gripen can launch Taurus missiles, and the Mirage 2000 can fire Storm Shadow/Scalp-EG missiles. The F-16 operates with American JASSM cruise missiles and long-range AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles. Each of these planes will launch the weaponry delivered to us. They will complement each other depending on the tasks," explained the Ukrainian, adding that the Gripen is universal. Besides the advantage of carrying European missiles, it can also integrate with particular American rockets.

Earlier, some Ukrainian experts also highlighted other factors supporting the notion that the Gripen seems to be a fighter jet somewhat tailored to the current needs of Ukrainians. Compared to the Mirage 2000 and F-16, it is noticeably cheaper to operate, and besides, it can take off from makeshift runways (a simple stretch of road about 800 metres long).

The topic of transferring Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine appeared in the public space as early as 2023. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström recently stated that Ukraine decided to delay the purchase of JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets until the F-16 transfers are completed. However, the Ukrainians denied these words, asserting they remain consistently interested in Swedish fighter jets.

The Gripen is a single-engine fighter with delta wings and a canard configuration developed by the Swedish company SAAB. It measures about 14 metres in length and reaches speeds of up to Mach 2 (about 2,130 km/h). It can operate at altitudes up to 18,000 metres. Besides weapons, it can carry a reserve of 2,500 litres of fuel and one or two pilots (depending on the version). It is standardly armed with a Mauser BK-27 cannon, calibre 27 mm.