Saab inks $2.5 bln deal with FMV to supply Ukraine with 16 Gripen E fighters

Swedish defense firm Saab announced today that it has signed a contract to provide 16 Gripen E fighters to Ukraine. Once delivered, these jets are expected to become the most capable combat aircraft in the Ukrainian Air Force.

The deal follows Stockholm's earlier agreement to donate up to 16 previous-generation Gripen C/Ds to Ukraine. Handover of the Gripen C/Ds is slated for early 2027, while the Gripen Es are scheduled for delivery starting in 2029.

Contract Details

The agreement was signed between Saab and the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV), the governmental procurement agency acting under the Swedish Ministry of Defense. The order is valued at approximately SEK 24.6 billion (roughly $2.5 billion) and will be booked in the third quarter of this year.

Saab is scheduled to deliver the new jets to the FMV between 2029 and 2030, after which they will be transferred to Ukraine. In addition to the 16 Gripen E fighters, the contract includes spare parts and associated items and equipment.

Statement from Saab Leadership

"I am deeply proud that Sweden and Saab can now enable the provision of Gripen E to Ukraine, bringing a world-class fighter that will transform the Ukrainian Air Force's capability. This will significantly strengthen Ukraine's air defense and help ensure the nation can protect its people and safeguard its future," said Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab, in a company statement.

Gripen's Suitability for Ukraine

The same statement highlighted specific features of the Gripen series that make it ideal for operations with the Ukrainian Air Force:

• Operational flexibility and resilience — enables operations from short stretches, temporary runways, or roads, supporting dispersed operations and high availability
• Software-based architecture — facilitates continuous upgrades and adaptation to evolving operational requirements
• Low maintenance requirements — with fast turnaround, Gripen provides an advanced and cost-effective fighter capability that is easy to operate and maintain

These qualities, particularly the design philosophy of operating from dispersed locations, were explored as early as 2022 in the context of potential deliveries to Ukraine. As previously noted:

Designed during the Cold War to meet the Soviet threat, the Gripen was engineered for efficiency, durability, and ease of operation under wartime conditions. It was specifically designed to be serviced and rearmed by small teams — often including conscript personnel — while operating from dispersed locations such as roads and improvised airstrips instead of traditional air bases.

The Ukrainian Air Force has already developed tactics and equipment to operate its existing fighters from dispersed locations around the country. Prior to the current conflict, Ukrainian pilots were training to use highways as alternatives to traditional runways.

Gripen E vs. Gripen C/D

While the Gripen C/D represents a significant advance — these are secondhand aircraft drawn from Swedish stocks to expedite delivery — the Gripen E is a very different proposition despite its superficially similar appearance.

Compared to the older jet, the Gripen E features:

• A larger fuselage accommodating approximately 30% more fuel
• A more powerful General Electric F414 engine
• A total of 10 hardpoints for weapons and other stores
• A completely revised cockpit with a single Wide Area Display (WAD), replacing the three separate displays in the Gripen C/D
• Capability to carry up to seven MBDA Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles
• Integration with the Leonardo ES-05 Raven active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar
• Integration with the Leonardo Skyward G infrared search and track (IRST) sensor

The ES-05 Raven is set to be the first AESA fighter radar for Ukraine. Compared to traditional mechanically scanned array technology, an AESA can find and track a target at a much greater range, more quickly, and with greater accuracy.