Aviation Coalition Tells Sweden to Pause Gripen Fighter Delivery to Ukraine

The aviation coalition of partner countries has advised Sweden to hold off on transferring its Gripen multi-role fighters to Ukraine for the time being, Swedish Defense Minister Poul Jonsson said during a briefing at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

Jonsson said the decision was based on logistical and technical factors, noting that Ukraine is already in the process of integrating two other Western aircraft types.

“I think it would be difficult to introduce three types of combat aircraft at the same time. Right now it's the F-16 and also the Mirage,” Jonsson was quoted as saying by reports.

Responding to questions about the possibility of sending Gripen fighters to Ukraine in the future, he confirmed that the coalition had advised against it for now.

“But, as you probably know, the aviation coalition has advised us to hold off on this step for now and instead focus on our AWACS aircraft,” he said.

The potential transfer of Swedish Gripen fighters has been a recurring topic in discussions over strengthening Ukraine’s air capabilities. In a recent interview, Ukraine’s First Deputy Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Ivan Havrylyuk, acknowledged that Kyiv remains interested in acquiring Western aircraft.

“Practically, you named the nomenclature correctly, but I won't go into detail about when, what, which one,” Havrylyuk said when asked about the expected aircraft types — F-16, Mirage, and Gripen.