Sweden's Gripen Fighter Jet: What Ukraine Wants to Buy

The Gripen Fighter Jet

• ✈️ The Gripen is a fourth-generation, light, single-engine, supersonic fighter jet developed by Saab in Sweden.
• 💡 It is designed as a multi-role fighter aircraft, capable of air-to-air combat, aerial bombing, and reconnaissance.
• 💰 The Gripen is considered a low-cost alternative to more expensive fifth-generation aircraft like the F-35.

Capabilities and Operations

• ⚡ The latest version of the Gripen can be refueled, rearmed, and airborne within 10 to 20 minutes of landing.
• 🏞️ It is capable of operating from relatively rough air strips, offering operational flexibility.
• 🛡️ The Gripen has been used in direct combat, notably deployed by Thailand, and has served in NATO missions patrolling allied airspace in Poland.

International Sales and Ukraine's Interest

• 🌍 The Gripen has a history of international export, with sales to South Africa, Thailand, Brazil, the Czech Republic, and Hungary.
• 🤝 Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed a desire to purchase up to 150 Gripen fighter jets from Sweden, with hopes to begin using them next year.
• 🇵🇪 Other countries like Colombia and Peru are also considering or planning to acquire the Gripen to replace their aging fleets.