Ukraine's First New-Build Fighter Jet Order: 16 Saab Gripen E and 16 Donated Jets
In a historic shift in how it structures its air defense, Ukraine has signed its first-ever contract for brand-new, Western-built fighter aircraft. On June 30, 2026, Swedish defense manufacturer Saab signed a SEK 24.6 billion (~$2.5 billion) contract with Sweden’s defense procurement agency (FMV) to deliver 16 new-build Gripen E fighter jets to Ukraine.
The Two-Part Transfer and Delivery Timeline
The procurement is structured as a dual-track package to quickly establish operational capacity:
- Donated Jets (Gripen C/D): Sweden will donate 16 used Gripen C/D fighters from its own air force. These older jets are scheduled to arrive in Ukraine in early 2027 to serve as a bridge, allowing Ukrainian pilots and ground crews—who are already training in Sweden—to build up maintenance and logistical systems.
- New-Build Jets (Gripen E): The 16 newly manufactured Gripen E jets will follow in 2029 and 2030, bringing Ukraine's total Gripen fleet to 32 aircraft.
Financing and the British Industrial Stake
The purchase is funded through the EU’s €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan (finalized in April 2026), with additional financial and industrial backing from the United Kingdom. Over 30% of each Gripen fighter is built in the UK, supporting more than 5,000 British jobs across 50-plus suppliers providing critical components such as the landing gear and radar.
Operational Fit for Dispersed Warfare
The Saab Gripen is uniquely suited to Ukraine's wartime environment. It was designed from the ground up for dispersed operations, meaning it can take off and land on short, austere runways or civilian highways. A small, mobile ground crew can refuel and rearm the jet in just 10 minutes, aligning with Ukraine's tactics of constantly shifting aircraft to evade Russian strikes.
The Gripen E is equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and can fire the long-range Meteor air-to-air missile, which is highly prized for countering Russian combat aircraft and cruise missiles.
This order marks a major strategic transition for Ukraine's air force, representing its first step away from emergency second-hand donations toward modernizing its fleet with state-of-the-art, new-build multirole fighters.1
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An instance of Wartime military assistance must transition to domestic production to survive prolonged conflict. — Sustaining a long conflict drives Ukraine to procure high-end, brand-new fighter platforms instead of relying entirely on donor leftovers. ↩︎