Ukraine and Sweden take steps towards Ukrainian Gripen acquisition

STOCKHOLM, May 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced today that Ukraine intends to acquire an initial batch of up to 20 Gripen E/F and that Sweden intends to donate up to 16 Gripen C/D to Ukraine. The Swedish Government has also announced the allocation of means to replace the donated Gripen aircraft. 

The next steps for the Ukrainian and Swedish authorities will be to complete the negotiations regarding Ukraine's acquisition of Gripen E/F, which is expected to take place in batches, and Saab will support in this process. Dialogue regarding Sweden's replacement of the donated capability will be initiated soon. At this point Saab has not signed any contract nor received an order relating to this. 

"I am very proud of today's announcement that Sweden and Ukraine, together with Saab, are taking further steps towards giving Ukraine access to Gripen which is the world's most advanced fighter. We look forward to supporting Ukraine's acquisition of Gripen and the Swedish authorities in replacing the donated aircraft", says Micael Johansson, CEO and President of Saab. 

The announcements were made at a press conference in Uppsala, Sweden on 28 May where Sweden's Prime Minister Kristersson and Ukraine's President Zelenskyy jointly presented their intent regarding Ukraine's air defence capability and acquisition of Gripen. 

During President Zelenskyy's visit to Linköping, Sweden in October 2025, Sweden and Ukraine signed a letter of intent on cooperation related to air defence, laying the foundation for today's announcement.

Saab's Gripen fighter aircraft is designed to meet advanced threats in demanding environments. It can take off and land at short distances and can operate from temporary runways or roads, enabling dispersed operations and high availability. Gripen is cost-effective and easy to operate and maintain.

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Saab is a leading defense and security company with an enduring purpose, to help nations keep their people and society safe. Empowered by its 28,000 talented people, Saab constantly pushes the boundaries of technology to create a safer and more sustainable world. Saab designs, manufactures and maintains advanced systems in aeronautics, weapons, command and control, sensors and underwater systems. Saab is headquartered in Sweden. It has major operations all over the world and is part of the domestic defense capability of several nations. 

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SOURCE Saab