Sweden's Gripen jets: A new hope for Ukraine's air defense

Among the Western fighters that Ukraine is interested in acquiring, the Swedish JAS-39 Gripen is mentioned. Anatoliy Khrapchynski, a former Ukrainian military pilot, believes that they would be an excellent complement to the Ukrainian Air Force. This is due to the features these aircraft possess, which, for example, the F-16 fighters do not.

Ukraine expressed initial interest in the JAS-39 Gripen several years ago. The topic of acquiring them resurfaced after the outbreak of the full-scale war with Russia, but at that time, Kyiv, after talks with allies, decided on the F-16 fighters. Now, with the first of these aircraft already in Ukraine, the acquisition of other fighters, especially the French Mirage and JAS-39 Gripen, is being reconsidered.

"It [Gripen - ed.] was the cheapest in terms of operation. It was more accessible in terms of infrastructure and personnel – aviation and technical. We must not forget that this aircraft can take off from a short runway, even a regular highway. In the initial stages of acquiring modern aviation, it was necessary to choose one type of aircraft, and then potentially move on to supplementing it. And this is already happening. After the F-16, we see France's intentions regarding the transfer of Mirage, and there is renewed interest in the JAS-39 Gripen," explained Khrapchynski, quoted by the Unian agency.

From the Ukrainian point of view, JAS-39 Gripen indeed has very important features. While the F-16 must be serviced at airports, the Swedish fighter is capable of taking off from makeshift runways; a simple stretch of the road approximately 800 meters long is sufficient. It is also cheaper to maintain. It is estimated that an hour of flight in the JAS-39 Gripen costs about 40 percent less than in the case of the F-16.

The JAS-39 Gripen is a single-engine fighter with delta wings and canard control surfaces. It measures about 14 metres in length. It can reach speeds of up to Mach 2 (approximately 2,100 km/h) and operate at altitudes up to 18,000 metres. Its basic armament includes a 27 mm Mauser BK-27 cannon, but in addition, the JAS 39 Gripen can carry mounted missiles and bombs with greater destructive power.

The list of weapons compatible with the Swedish fighter includes AIM-9 Sidewinder, IRIS-T, AIM-120 AMRAAM, or AGM-65 Maverick missiles, as well as Mark 82 bombs. It can also be a carrier of the Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missiles, which Ukraine has been seeking to acquire from Germany for many months. Their range is up to 500 kilometres.