Saab’s Gripen fighter jet is the backbone of Swedish air power (Saab)
BELFAST — Sweden said today it will not consider sending its JAS 39 Gripen multirole fighter jets to Ukraine until the country has been admitted to NATO, but also said its armed forces will study how the transfer could be done and will return a report on the feasibility of transferring the planes in November.
The new policy, which directly links Gripen deliveries to alliance membership for the first time, was announced by Pål Jonson, Sweden’s defense minister, along with Stockholm’s 14th military aid support package for Kyiv, valued at approximately $200 million.
Jonson told a news conference that because of “domestic security reasons” Sweden would require NATO membership before Gripens could potentially be supplied to Ukraine, Reuters reported.
“Support in the form of JAS 39 Gripen would be conditional on Sweden first becoming a member of NATO,” the government reiterated in a press release. Stockholm has not stated yet how many Gripen jets could be supplied to Kyiv.
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As for the aid package, the next round of weapons due for delivery to Ukrainian forces includes 155mm artillery and CV90 ammunition. Satellite communication equipment will also be supplied. Jonson said in a social media post that the “combined value of Sweden’s military assistance to Ukraine” has now reached SEK 22 billion ($2 billion).
Despite Scandinavian neighbor Finland joining NATO in April, Sweden’s membership application has been delayed by Turkey and Hungary, though Ankara has vowed to hold a parliamentary ratification vote on the matter after October.
Together with the Defence Material Administration, Sweden’s military procurement arm, Stockholm has instructed the Swedish Armed Forces to “thoroughly” analyze and report on the impact of “defence capabilities, defence economy and other defence activities and planning,” relating to the supply of Gripen jets to Ukraine, according to a Swedish government statement.
It added, “Russia’s war in Ukraine continues mercilessly and Ukraine has requested support in the form of ammunition, spare parts, infantry equipment, etc., and also a modern combat aircraft system.”
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A deadline of November 6 has been set for the report to be returned to the government — the date reserved for Gen. Micael Bydén, Sweden’s Supreme Commander, to deliver a series of military recommendations.
Defense analysts have long argued for Gripen fighter jets to be sent to Ukraine. A report in November 2022 from the UK’s Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) defense and security think tank deemed the aircraft “by far the most suitable candidate” of Western-manufactured combat jets, capable of meeting operational requirements.
The same document stressed that the supply of the jets would minimize the risk of Ukraine being subjected to long-range missile strikes by Russia, while noting that the Swedish Air Force’s employment of “low level air superiority tactics from dispersed bases” are similar to Ukrainian Air Force operations.
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