Ukraine Bags Gripens: EU-Backed Jets to Bolster the Skies, Not Decide the War

Ukraine and Sweden reached a deal to supply Gripen fighters: 16 donated C/Ds and 20 newer E/Fs, totaling about €2.5 billion funded by an EU loan, with first deliveries expected around 2027 as Kyiv pursues 100-150 aircraft. The Gripen’s short-runway deployment, easier maintenance, and European-sourced Meteor missiles reduce U.S. dependence and will join Ukraine’s F-16s and Mirage 2000s in its air defense. Officials say the jets won’t be decisive, but they could help blunt Russian glide-bomb attacks and bolster deterrence while European defense production scales up.