The head of the Swedish defense giant Saab, Mikael Johansson, maintains an optimistic outlook on the potential supply of Gripen fighters to Ukraine, a topic first mentioned back in 2023. However, discussions have yet to progress beyond the question of who actually put Gripen on hold.
"Without jumping to conclusions [at the political level], I hope that this will happen," the Breaking Defense quotes the CEO of Saab, whom they spoke with at the Munich Security Conference. He also mentioned that it would be preferable to secure a long-term agreement right away.
At Saab, it is believed that such an agreement could ensure that Ukrainian pilots and technicians undergo training in Sweden and become proficient in the aircraft. This opens up the possibility of supplying used JAS 39 Gripen in the older C/D version, which currently forms the backbone of the Swedish Air Force. This could involve the immediate provision of 12-14 aircraft.
At the same time, this scenario
was indicated by the content of one of the aid packages.
After that, it may be possible to consider further supplies of new Gripen E/F fighters, which are currently being produced in limited numbers for the Swedish Air Force and in Brazil, the latter being the last buyer of these fighters back in 2014. Moreover, Sweden plans to operate the Gripen E until the 2060s.
From the perspective of Defense Express, it should be noted that the announced significant shift in the U.S. position regarding pan-European security could become a crucial factor in the careful selection of candidates for long-term security programs involving arms procurement. If the U.S. proceeds with the announcement to undermine global security in Europe, European countries may begin a logical drift away from American weapons in favor of European models.
However, it is important to remember that the export and overall production of Gripen is very closely tied to the U.S., due to the presence of American components in this fighter, primarily the engine. Furthermore, one of the factors in the procurement of any weapon could be the simple ability to receive arms within reasonable timeframes. This presents challenges for everyone, with delays in aircraft deliveries expected as far out as the 2030s. However, production at Saab is not particularly congested, as its head Mikael Johansson is well aware.