Ukraine presses for Swedish Gripen fighters amidst ongoing talks

The first information about the transfer of JAS 39 Gripen fighters appeared in August 2023, when representatives of the Ukrainian Air Force visited Sweden to evaluate the aircraft. The Ukrainian Air Force Command announced then that it would "fight" for the transfer of Gripens. However, the Swedish Prime Minister said he could not transfer the Gripen planes to Ukraine.

Recently, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström stated that Ukraine decided to delay the purchase of JAS 39 Gripen fighters until the preparations for the transfer of American F-16 fighters are completed. Members of the Ukrainian government refute this information.

Ukraine remains interested in acquiring Swedish multirole fighters. Igor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, denies previous information.

"I have never heard that Ukrainians gave up on the Gripen fighters. On the contrary, this is a topic that my president constantly brings up before the Swedish leadership," he said.

The Ukrainian official also noted that before Stockholm acceded to NATO, the government could not make any promises, but now "the president is communicating again with the Swedish Prime Minister, and our Ministry of Defence with the appropriate Swedish government agencies."

The SAAB multirole fighters JAS 39 Gripen are lightweight machines developed by the Swedes in collaboration with BAE Systems. Work on their design began in the 1980s, and the first test flight of the Gripen took place in December 1988, marking an important moment in the machine's history.

These planes are constructed using the canard configuration, and their propulsion is provided by turbofan engines. Depending on the version, these can be Volvo Aero RM12 or F414-GE-39E engines. In both cases, these engines guarantee the ability to reach speeds of Mach 2, which translates to about 2,130 km/h. The maximum operational ceiling for the Gripen is 18,000 metres, which is impressive.

The dimensions of the JAS 39 Gripen fighter are also noteworthy. The wingspan is 8.4 metres, and the length of the aircraft ranges from 14.1 to 14.8 metres, depending on the version. The height of the machine is 4.5 metres. These dimensions make the fighter slightly smaller than the American F-16.

However, it is worth noting that despite its slightly smaller size, the Gripen has room for impressive armaments. The structure, weighing from 6,700 to 7,100 kg, can accommodate six AIM-9 Sidewinder or IRIS-T missiles, four AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, as well as GBU and Mk 82 family bombs. The primary tool for firing, however, is the Mauser BK-27 aircraft cannon, which is the heart of the armament of this Swedish fighter.