Swedish arms maker to assemble Gripen fighters in Ukraine under major deal

Swedish defence and aerospace company Saab is prepared to establish assembly production of Gripen fighter jets in Ukraine as part of an agreement to supply Kyiv with 100–150 JAS 39 Gripen E aircraft, Saab CEO Micael Johansson said.

Johansson noted that it would be difficult to implement such a project amid an ongoing conflict but noted that establishing facilities for final assembly, testing, and possibly component production in Ukraine would be a positive step, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Financial Times.

According to the outlet, such a deal with Kyiv would give Saab a significant boost, as the company has so far delivered a total of 100 Gripen fighters — 60 to Sweden, 36 to Brazil, and 4 to Thailand. Johansson noted that fulfilling an order of 100–150 aircraft for Ukraine would require Saab to “almost double its production capacity.”

The key issue remains financing, he said, adding that one of the options under discussion involves the potential use of frozen Russian assets held in Europe — a proposal opposed by Belgium.

The final decision will depend on political agreements between Sweden and other EU member states.

As a reminder, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently announced that Ukraine expects to receive its first Swedish Gripen fighter jets next year.

He said the agreement with Sweden will mark a historic breakthrough for Ukraine’s Air Force, with plans for the delivery of up to 150 aircraft under the deal.

Zelenskyy noted that the Gripen jets will form a core part of Ukraine’s future security guarantees, ensuring full protection of its airspace and representing the largest combat aviation agreement in the country’s history.

He added that Kyiv and Stockholm are working closely to implement the deal in stages, beginning with the first deliveries expected in 2026.

By Jeyhun Aghazada