Overview
- Sweden and Ukraine said on May 28, 2026 that Kyiv intends to buy up to 20 Saab Gripen E/F fighters and that Sweden will transfer 16 Gripen C/D aircraft as bilateral assistance.
- Ukraine plans to fund the initial Gripen purchase with €2.5 billion from the EU’s Ukraine Support Loan, according to Swedish officials.
- Sweden expects donated Gripen C/D deliveries to begin in early 2027 and aims for new Gripen E/F deliveries around 2030 while pilot training is already under way.
- Negotiations, final contracts and export approvals are still pending and Saab has said it has not yet signed any order related to the announced package.
- The Gripen’s short‑field design and ability to carry missiles such as IRIS‑T, AMRAAM and Meteor are presented as operational advantages for Ukraine, but Saab’s current production capacity and the need for Sweden to replace donated jets mean scaling to larger fleet goals will require years and industrial expansion.