Story perspectives

Sweden, Ukraine Secure €2.5 bn EU Loan for 36 Gripens

6/4/2026

Summary

Sweden Supplies Gripens

Sweden and Ukraine signed a €2.5 billion EU-loan deal on May 28, 2026 for 20 Gripen E and 16 older Gripens.
Ukraine reports each jet costs US$8,000 (S$10,000) per hour and can be readied in under 10 minutes.
The Gripen can operate from short, unpaved runways and carry Meteor missiles that extend range.
Analysts say the jets will not secure air superiority but may boost sales, with Saab shares having risen 850 percent since the invasion.

Summary

Sweden Crafts Gripen

Sweden conceived the Gripen during the Cold War to counter a numerically superior Soviet adversary.
Planners expected rapid Soviet missile strikes that would cripple air bases, so the fighter was built for dispersed operations and can launch from improvised runways such as highways.
Ground crews are sized to refuel and rearm quickly with small teams, improving survivability and making the Cold-War design a strong match for Ukraine’s wartime needs.

Summary

Gripen Bolsters Ukraine

Gripen E carries the MBDA Meteor ramjet missile, giving it longer beyond-visual-range capability than the AIM-120 AMRAAM used by Ukrainian F-16s.
The F-16 can launch precision munitions such as JDAM, JDAM-ER, AGM-88 HARM and GBU-39, enabling SEAD strikes against Russian air defenses.
Gripen E’s electronic-warfare suite, featuring radar-warning receivers, jamming and decoys, boosts survivability and, paired with Saab’s Erieye AEW platform, extends Ukraine’s air-defence net against drones and cruise missiles.

History

Historical Context

Sweden began the Gripen program in 1979, flew the first prototype in December 1988 and entered the JAS 39 into service in 1996 to support the Bas 90 dispersed-runway concept. The later E/F version, introduced in 2019 and now used by Ukraine with Meteor missiles, builds on that Cold-War design; over 280 Gripens have been delivered worldwide.

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Sweden Supplies Gripens

Sweden and Ukraine signed a €2.5 billion EU-loan deal on May 28, 2026 for 20 Gripen E and 16 older Gripens.
Ukraine reports each jet costs US$8,000 (S$10,000) per hour and can be readied in under 10 minutes.
The Gripen can operate from short, unpaved runways and carry Meteor missiles that extend range.
Analysts say the jets will not secure air superiority but may boost sales, with Saab shares having risen 850 percent since the invasion.

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