Ukraine declines Swedish jets over operational complexity concerns

Swedes are capable of handing over JAS 39 Gripen jets to Ukraine. The problem, however, is that Ukraine has decided to decline the assistance. The decision stems from Ukrainian concerns about overburdening their military.

The Defense Express portal reminds us that the possibility of transferring Swedish JAS 39 Gripen fighters to Ukraine has existed for several months. However, the transfer of the aircraft was suspended at the end of May 2024. At that time, it was said that this was due to actions related to the transfer of F-16 fighters to Kyiv. Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson explained that the decision was made by a coalition and was related to prioritising the transfer of American F-16s.

Now, however, as we read, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström stated that the decision to halt work on transferring the Gripens was made in Ukraine.

– It has nothing to do with the decision by the Swedish government. This decision was brought about because Ukraine reached the conclusion that to bring on board two air fighter systems at the same time, both F- 16 and Gripens, were to be too much – said Billström in an interview with Voice of America.

The Swedish Foreign Minister notes that Stockholm is still open to continuing efforts to transfer the Gripens to Ukraine. Again, this is Ukraineʼs business, not the Swedish governmentʼs, he adds.

Defense Express explains that the Ukrainians' decision is fully understandable and logical. This is partly due to the fact that preparing the entire infrastructure necessary for the operation of new aircraft takes a lot of time. "The F-16 example shows how complicated and time-consuming this process can be," it reads. Billström points out that transferring aircraft is not just about sending the machines and training pilots. – These are complicated systems and to have two of them at the same time being implemented was too much – Billström claims.

The mentioned Gripen fighters, or more precisely SAAB JAS 39 Gripen, are light multirole aircraft produced by the Swedes in co-production with BAE Systems. The history of this aircraft dates back to the 1980s. The first flight of the Gripen took place in December 1988.

Depending on the version, these canard-configuration designs are powered by a single Volvo Aero RM12 or F414-GE-39E turbofan engine. In both cases, they guarantee the ability to accelerate to speeds of Mach 2, or about 2,130 kilometres per hour. The maximum altitude at which the Gripen can operate reaches about 17.7 kilometres.

The JAS 39 Gripen has a wingspan of 8.4 metres with a length of 14.1-14.8 metres, depending on the version, and a height of 4.5 metres. These dimensions make the Swedish fighter slightly smaller than the American F-16. However, it is worth noting that this 6,700-7,100 kilogram construction has space for armaments, including six AIM-9 Sidewinder or IRIS-T missiles, four AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, and bombs from the GBU and Mk 82 families. The primary tool for conducting fire in the case of the Gripen is the 27mm Mauser BK-27 aircraft cannon.