Sweden Donates 16 Gripen Jets to Ukraine, Plans 150 More
On May 28, 2026, Sweden announced the donation of 16 Saab Gripen C/D fighter jets to Ukraine, with deliveries starting in early 2027, and a plan for Ukraine to purchase up to 20 newer Gripen E/F jets funded by a €2.5 billion EU loan, with long-term ambitions for 100-150 total Gripens. The deal, announced by Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Uppland Air Force Wing base, includes Meteor long-range missiles and training for Ukrainian pilots. UK industry supports the deal, with over 30% of Gripen components made in Britain.
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Sweden Offers Free Gripen C/D Jets to Ukraine Conditional on Purchase of 20 Gripen E/F
Ukraine has announced plans to procure up to 20 Saab Gripen E/F fighter aircraft from Sweden as part of an effort to upgrade its air defense capabilities. The intended acquisition, to be negotiated in batches, was announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on 28 May 2026. Alongside the planned purchase, Sweden has committed to donate up to 16 JAS 39 Gripen C/D fighter jets, valued at Skr22.2bn, from its current fleet. However, the free jets are conditional on Ukraine signing a contract to purchase the newer Gripen E/F models. Saab confirmed that no contract has been signed yet. The deal follows a letter of intent signed in October 2025 and is expected to support over 5,000 jobs in the UK, where more than 30% of each aircraft is manufactured. Sweden also committed an additional $1.4bn in military aid to Ukraine in February 2026.
Airforce TechnologySweden Offers Free Gripen C/D Jets as Ukraine Plans 20 Gripen E/F Order
Ukraine has announced plans to procure up to 20 Saab Gripen E/F fighter aircraft from Sweden to upgrade its air defense capabilities. The intended acquisition, to be negotiated in batches, was announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on 28 May 2026. Alongside the planned purchase, Sweden has committed to donate up to 16 JAS 39 Gripen C/D fighter jets, valued at Skr22.2bn, from its current fleet. The donation is conditional on Ukraine signing a contract to purchase the newer Gripen E/F models. Saab confirmed that no contract has been signed yet. The deal follows a letter of intent signed in October 2025 and is expected to support over 5,000 jobs in the UK, which supplies critical components for the aircraft. Sweden also committed an additional $1.4bn in military aid to Ukraine in February 2026.
Airforce TechnologySweden Offers Free Gripen C/D Jets as Ukraine Plans 20 Gripen E/F Order
Ukraine has announced plans to procure up to 20 Saab Gripen E/F fighter aircraft from Sweden to upgrade its air defense capabilities. The intended acquisition, to be negotiated in batches, was announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on 28 May 2026. Alongside the planned purchase, Sweden has committed to donate up to 16 JAS 39 Gripen C/D jets, valued at Skr22.2bn, from its current fleet. The donation is conditional on Ukraine signing a contract to purchase the newer Gripen E/F models. Saab confirmed that no contract has been signed yet. The deal is expected to support over 5,000 jobs in the UK, where more than 30% of each aircraft is manufactured. This follows a letter of intent signed in October 2025 and a recent $1.4bn Swedish military aid package to Ukraine.
Airforce TechnologySweden Gifts 16 Gripen Jets to Ukraine with UK Industry Support
Sweden has announced it will gift 16 Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine and facilitate the purchase of 20 additional new aircraft through an EU support loan, in a deal backed by UK industry. The announcement was made jointly by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Defence Minister Luke Pollard. Over 30% of each Gripen is manufactured in Britain, with at least 50 UK companies involved, including Saab UK and Leonardo UK, supporting more than 5,000 British jobs. The deal aims to provide Ukraine with modern multirole air combat platforms interoperable with NATO. Combined UK and Sweden military support to Ukraine since February 2022 now totals £11.4 billion. Saab is also investing £100 million in its Fareham site, and BAE Systems has a long-standing presence in Sweden.
UK Defence JournalUkrainian Gripen Fighters To Arrive In 2027, Long-Range Meteor Missiles Claimed To Be Included
Sweden has announced it will donate up to 16 Saab Gripen C/D fighter jets to Ukraine, with the first deliveries expected in early 2027. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the package will include highly capable Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles. Training for Ukrainian pilots and technicians is already underway and will expand in fall 2026. In the longer term, Ukraine plans to acquire up to 20 of the more advanced Gripen E/F versions, financed by a $2.9 billion EU loan, with deliveries expected by 2030. Sweden will replace the donated aircraft in its own inventory. The announcement was made following a meeting between Zelensky and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Uppsala, Sweden.
The War ZoneUkrainian Gripen Fighters To Arrive In 2027, Long-Range Meteor Missiles Claimed To Be Included
Sweden has announced it will donate up to 16 Saab Gripen C/D fighter jets to Ukraine, with the first deliveries expected in early 2027. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the transfer will include highly capable Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles. The announcement was made after a meeting between Zelensky and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Uppsala, Sweden. Training of Ukrainian pilots and technicians on the Gripen C/D is already underway and will expand in fall 2026. In the longer term, Ukraine plans to acquire up to 20 of the more advanced Gripen E/F versions, financed by a $2.9 billion European Union loan, with deliveries expected by 2030. Sweden will replace the donated aircraft in its own inventory. Saab noted that no contract for the Gripen E/F has been signed yet, making the transfer a statement of intent for now.
The War ZoneUkrainian Gripen Fighters To Arrive In 2027, Long-Range Meteor Missiles Claimed To Be Included
Sweden has announced the donation of up to 16 Saab Gripen C/D fighter jets to Ukraine, with the first deliveries expected in early 2027. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the package will include highly capable Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles. The announcement was made after a meeting between Zelensky and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Uppsala, Sweden. Training for Ukrainian pilots and technicians is already underway and will expand in fall 2026. In the longer term, Ukraine plans to acquire up to 20 of the more advanced Gripen E/F versions, financed by a $2.9 billion EU loan, with deliveries expected by 2030. Sweden will replace the donated aircraft in its own inventory. Saab noted that no contract for the Gripen E/F has been signed yet, making the transfer a statement of intent for now.
The War ZoneUkraine to Buy 20 New Gripen Jets, Sweden to Donate Older Models Sooner
Ukraine will purchase 20 new Saab Gripen E fighter jets and receive 16 older C/D models from Sweden as a stopgap measure, announced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson at a press conference in Uppsala. The deal follows a letter of intent signed last year for up to 150 jets. Ukraine has earmarked €2.5 billion from a €90 billion EU loan for the purchase, with deliveries of the new model expected from 2030. The older C/D jets will be donated next year to bolster Ukraine's air defense. Saab's CEO called it a 'big day' for the company, and shares rose 4.4%. Sweden, one of Ukraine's largest donors, has provided 128 billion Swedish crowns in aid. The Gripen is seen as a cost-effective, easy-to-maintain alternative to the F-35, capable of operating from dispersed bases.
Defense NewsUkraine to Buy 20 New Gripen Jets, Sweden to Donate Older Models Sooner
Ukraine will purchase 20 new Saab Gripen E fighter jets and receive 16 older C/D models as a donation from Sweden, according to a joint announcement by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. The deal follows a letter of intent signed last year for up to 150 jets. Zelenskyy stated Ukraine has earmarked €2.5 billion from a €90 billion EU loan for the purchase, with deliveries of the new model expected from 2030. The older C/D jets will serve as a stopgap for Ukraine's air defense. Saab's CEO called it a 'big day' for the company, and shares rose 4.4%. Sweden has provided 128 billion Swedish crowns in aid to Ukraine so far. The Gripen is seen as a cost-effective, easy-to-maintain alternative to the F-35, capable of operating from dispersed bases.
Defense NewsUkraine to Buy 20 New Gripen Jets, Sweden to Donate Older Models Sooner
Ukraine will purchase 20 new Saab Gripen E fighter jets and receive 16 older C/D models as a donation from Sweden, according to a joint announcement by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. The deal follows a letter of intent signed last year for up to 150 jets. Zelenskyy stated Ukraine has earmarked €2.5 billion from a €90 billion EU loan for the purchase, with deliveries of the new model expected from 2030. The older C/D jets will serve as a stopgap solution for Ukraine's air defense. Saab's CEO called it a 'big day' for the company, and shares rose 4.4%. Sweden has already provided 128 billion Swedish crowns in military and civilian aid to Ukraine.
Defense NewsSweden Donates 16 Gripen Jets to Ukraine, Opens Door to 150 More
On May 28, 2026, Sweden announced the donation of 16 Gripen C/D fighter jets to Ukraine, with deliveries planned for early 2026. Additionally, Sweden will enable the purchase of up to 20 newer Gripen E/F aircraft, funded by a €2.5 billion EU loan, with long-term ambitions to deliver 100-150 total Gripens. The announcement was made by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Uppland Air Force Wing base. The Gripen C/D donation addresses urgent needs, while the E/F purchase builds future capacity. Ukrainian pilot and technician training is already underway. The Gripen's design for dispersed operations and its compatibility with Meteor long-range missiles offer Ukraine a qualitative advantage over Russian fighters.
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