Warplanes inbound as Ukraine moves closer to getting a grip on the Gripen

Ukraine has moved a step closer to acquiring up to 150 Saab JAS 39 multi-role combat aircraft after signing a cooperation deal with Sweden.

Kyiv expects the first deliveries next year, and if the deal goes through in full it would provide Ukraine with its largest tranche of Western-produced warplanes to date.

Ukraine had been promised around 85 F-16 Fighting Falcons from a raft of Nato nations, but fewer than 30 are believed to have been delivered so far.

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However, the Gripen delivery looks more promising after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky signed a contract with Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson.

The two countries have agreed to cooperate in the field of developing air capabilities, with the jet fighter deal being part of this.

"We expect that the future contract will allow us to receive at least 100 of these jets," media outlet Ukrinform quoted Mr Zelensky as saying.

"We clearly understand that this is a [lengthy] process, and we clearly understand the financial foundation necessary to implement this important contract.

"We discussed this with the prime minister and with Saab's leadership. I am grateful to Sweden for its readiness to cooperate on this."

Ukraine places great store in acquiring capable Western assets to help the fight against Russia, with the Gripen being a prime example.

Mr Zelensky posted later on X: "We consider the JAS 39 Gripen aircraft to be one of the most effective elements of this effort and count on the first deliveries of Gripens... in 2026."

Six nations currently operate the Gripen, and the UK has even acquired the type for training purposes at the Empire Test Pilots' School.

Major Henrik Björling, a Swedish air force Gripen display pilot, highlighted the advantages of the jet.

"One of the things that the Gripen is really good at is turn rate, doing things really fast, but at the same time the Gripen is also super easy to fly," he explained.

This could be an advantage when training Ukrainian pilots. Another major plus point is the jet's cost-effectiveness.

The Saab combat aircraft is the cheapest to operate per hour of all the Nato jets.

And at a time when most jets are produced by multiple countries, the Gripen stands out as a successful single-nation design.