As part of the agreement to purchase 150 “Gripen” fighter aircraft, the Swedish company Saab is ready to open a final assembly plant for “Gripen” aircraft in Ukraine.
This is reported by the Financial Times.
In an interview with the publication, Saab CEO Mikael Johansson said that the contract with Ukraine will approximately double the companyʼs production capacity needs.
"During war, itʼs not that easy, but it would be great to create capacity in Ukraine for at least final assembly and testing, and perhaps partial production," emphasized Johansson.
The defense company also plans to increase fighter production in Brazil, Canada and the EU. In particular, Saab has already invested in producing about 20-30 “Gripen” per year for Brazil.
How are “Gripen” fighters useful for Ukraine?
Unlike the F-16, the “Gripen” JAS 39 aircraft is undemanding to runways and easier to maintain between flights.
In addition, the cost of a flight hour for the JAS 39 is the lowest among fighters. For the JAS 39C/D model, this figure is $7 000-8 000, and for the JAS 39E/F, according to preliminary estimates, only $4 000.
The Guardian reported that Ukraine could purchase “Gripen” fighters from Sweden, paying for them with frozen Russian assets.
- Kyiv will receive the first “Gripen” aircraft from Sweden in 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported. According to Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, this will allow Ukraine to build a very serious Air Force.
Author: Anastasia Zaikova
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