--- title: "Huge Gripen Fighter Order Letter Of Intent Signed By Ukraine" description: "Sweden and Ukraine have unveiled a plan to deliver up to 150 Gripen E fighters to the war-torn country, but major questions remain. Sweden and Ukraine have unveiled a plan to deliver up to 150 Gripen E fighters to the war-torn country, but major questions remain." date: "2025-10-22" modified: "2025-10-22" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick.md" url: "https://www.twz.com/air/huge-gripen-fighter-order-letter-of-intent-signed-by-ukraine" categories: - "Air" - "Air Forces" - "Around The Globe" - "Europe" - "Fighters" - "Gripen" - "News & Features" - "Ukraine" - "Ukrainian Air Force" --- # Huge Gripen Fighter Order Letter Of Intent Signed By Ukraine ![Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (R) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky walk past a Gripen fighter jet after they delivered a joint press conference in Linkoping, Sweden, on October 22, 2025, after talks on Russia's ongoing of aggression against Ukraine and the countries' deepening defense cooperation. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on october 22 that Sweden and Ukraine had signed a letter of intent to develop air capabilities, which could see Ukraine buy up to 150 Gripen fighter jets.]() *Photo by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images* The long-running saga of [Saab Gripen]() fighters for Ukraine took a dramatic new turn today, with the Swedish and Ukrainian leaders unveiling a plan to export as many as 150 Gripens to Kyiv. While no timeline has been set, and the financing is yet to be determined, the deal, if it goes ahead, would provide Ukraine with its first new-built fighter jets since it gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today signed a letter of intent (LOI) with the aim of “deepening air force cooperation.” The cornerstone of this is a potential major export deal covering “likely between 100 and 150 fighter jets,” according to Kristersson. The LOI was signed in front of a Gripen E at Linköping, the site of Saab’s manufacturing facility for the fighter. ![]() *Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced the signature of the letter of intent in front of a Gripen E at Linköping today. *Swedish Ministry of Defense** https://twitter.com/SwedishPM/status/1981021391592833428 “Sweden supports the development of Ukraine’s future air force,” the Swedish government said [in a statement](). “This new Swedish–Ukrainian cooperation will include exchange of experience and knowledge on air combat and defense and on the use of advanced capabilities in this area, for example, fighter aircraft.” https://twitter.com/MFA_Ukraine/status/1981030559636656599 At Linköping, Zelensky “got the chance to see first-hand the impressive capabilities of the Gripen fighter,” Kristersson said, describing the LOI as “a step towards a massive possible export deal regarding Gripen.” Kristersson continued: “We fully realize it’s a long road ahead of us, but from today we are committed to exploring all the possibilities in providing Ukraine with a large amount of Gripen fighters in the future.” https://twitter.com/SwedishPM/status/1980990030744281461 As well as the plan to get Gripens into Ukrainian Air Force hands, the Swedish government said that it would harness Ukraine’s “unique experience of air combat and defense” as it continues to develop advanced systems, including the Gripen. Even if Ukraine receives ‘only’ 100 Gripen E/Fs, this will mark by far the biggest export order for the type and Sweden’s biggest-ever arms sale. It is also significant that the Gripen has long been touted as very suitable for Ukraine, especially since it was built from the start with austere operations in mind; Ukraine is regularly conducting these kinds of operations to keep its fighters from being destroyed on the ground. ![The long-running saga of Saab Gripen fighters for Ukraine took a dramatic new turn today, with the Swedish and Ukrainian leaders unveiling a plan to export as many as 150 Gripens to Kyiv.]() *A Gripen E test jet. *Saab* Saab* So far, [Brazil]() has ordered 36, [Thailand]() has ordered four, and [Colombia]() is set to buy between 15 and 24. For its part, Sweden has ordered 60, the first of which was delivered to an operational unit earlier this week. https://twitter.com/GripenNews/status/1981001714355642726 The LOI covers the in-production Gripen E. Despite it having a similar outward appearance to the Gripen C/D, the Gripen E is regarded as a completely new aircraft type — as you can read about [here](). https://twitter.com/PlJonson/status/1980993852875087999 In the past, Ukraine has [repeatedly been linked]() with a possible transfer of secondhand Swedish Air Force Gripen C/Ds, a topic that was reportedly discussed between Zelensky and Kristersson [earlier this month](). Sweden’s long-term plan is to have 120 Gripens in service by 2030, with half being E variants. That would leave roughly 37 Gripen C/D models potentially available to Ukraine, but the number is likely somewhat lower due to airframe fatigue and other factors. ![Saab remote base Gripen]() *A Swedish Air Force Gripen C at a remote base. *Saab* SAAB* Kristersson has said it would take around three years for new-build Gripen Es to arrive in Ukraine. With an urgent need for fighters, Zelensky today said he would like to see Gripens delivered from 2026. That would almost certainly involve secondhand Gripen C/Ds. https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1981006215707496902 Ukrainian pilots [have already been exposed]() to the Gripen C/D in Sweden, where test flights began in 2023. Despite the arrival of Western-supplied [F-16s]() and [Mirage 2000s](), the Ukrainian Air Force continues to rely heavily on its Soviet-era fighters. The MiG-29, in particular, has been continually adapted to [carry new weaponry](), both [Western-supplied]() and [locally developed](). Long-term, however, Ukraine has been looking to acquire advanced Western-made fighter equipment in more significant numbers than the secondhand F-16s and Mirages, stocks of which are limited. Meanwhile, the Mirages and F-16s are now old, approaching the ends of their service lives, and will need to be replaced before too long. As [we’ve highlighted in detail]() as far back as April of 2022, Gripens [would be a *very* good fit for Ukraine](): “*Another option, and possibly the best of all, would be Sweden’s surplus* [*JAS 39C/D Gripen*]() *multirole fighters. These light-to-medium-weight fighters are built with great efficiency and reliability in mind. They were designed to be turned around in the bush by tiny teams of mainly conscripted groundcrew and flown from roadways and rough fields during wartime. Distributed operations under very harsh sustained wartime conditions, especially in the cold, are literally what the design is all about.*” “*Their single F404-derivative engine (license-built by Volvo) drinks comparatively small amounts of fuel compared to the other options, and the type has a wide array of available armory from multiple nations. It has all-around good performance, modern radar and avionics, and is small in size, making it hard to spot visually.*“ “*The Gripen really is well-suited for the current combat doctrine Ukraine is using in Ukraine today, although the fact that it is a Swedish design makes it a bit harder for the United States and NATO to supply and support it. Still, other NATO members operate the type. There is also the question of how many Swedish Gripens will be able to give up at this time.”* https://twitter.com/MikaelHolmstr/status/1980992294863208716 While Gripen C/Ds might still be supplied in the short term, which would help considerably with training and transition, Ukraine would ultimately receive the more capable Gripen E (and potentially also the two-seat Gripen F). https://twitter.com/SwedeninUA/status/1981003519059443877 The Gripen will also provide Ukraine with a notable opportunity to work with the two [Saab 340 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft]() equipped with Erieye radar that have been donated by Sweden. A delivery date for the transfer of these aircraft to Ukraine has not been announced. However, the Saab 340 AEW&C aircraft “will provide Ukraine with a completely new capability against both airborne and maritime targets,” the Swedish government has said. “Ukraine’s capability to identify and engage targets at long range will be strengthened. The package will also include a holistic solution that involves training, technical equipment, and methodological support for air surveillance and command and control.” ![]() **via X** Once Gripens are available to Ukraine, the Saab 340 AEW&C will be able to operate alongside them as a fighter control asset, detecting targets, prioritizing them, and then assigning them to the fighters for interception. Today’s announcement could potentially yield the biggest overhaul for the Ukrainian Air Force since the country gained independence in 1991. How this will sit with other Western nations that are also supplying arms to Ukraine, and especially the United States, is far from clear. However, Sweden has long taken a more autonomous approach when it comes to defense exports. But there are many more hurdles to overcome before the jets might start to arrive on Ukrainian soil. First, it has to be determined how Kyiv will pay for the fighters. Second, there are questions about how rapidly Saab might be able to start producing Gripen Es for export, and in what kind of numbers; potentially, it might be able to leverage the Brazilian Gripen production line. Lastly, and most critically, Ukraine still has to survive an existential conflict with Russia before it can get its hands on any of its much-anticipated Gripens. *Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()