Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström stated that they are ready to provide Ukraine with Gripen fighters in the future and explained why this process was suspended.
Why Sweden suspended the provision of Gripen fighters
— Ukraine was given the opportunity to receive F-16 fighter jets, which are more numerous in the NATO family… This has nothing to do with the decision of the Swedish government. This decision was made due to the fact that Ukraine came to the conclusion that it was too much to have two fighter systems at the same time – both the F-16 and the Gripen , & #8212; the diplomat said in an interview with Voice of America.
According to him, these are two complex systems that are very difficult to implement simultaneously.
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— But that doesn't mean Sweden isn't open to continuing with Gripen fighters if and when the F-16 program ends. Again, this is a matter for Ukraine, not the Swedish government, — he added.
Billström assured that the Swedish government has no restrictions on these discussions on Gripen after the introduction of the F-16.
In September 2023, Ukrainian pilots completed testing of the Gripen in Sweden.
Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a Swedish fourth-generation multi-role fighter aircraft, developed in the late 1980s and entered service in 1996.
