The Armed Forces commented on the possibility of transferring Gripen fighters to Ukraine

Ukraine and partners are considering the possibility of transferring Swedish Gripen fighter jets in addition to the F-16, said the spokesman of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yuriy Ignat on the air of the telethon, writes radiosvoboda.org.

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"The main combat aircraft will be the F-16... The Gripen is also being considered, the Swedish side can transfer to Ukraine the number it has today. We are not talking about quantity. But the main combat aircraft still remains the F-16. If a decision is made regarding Gripen, it will be a good option for us," he said.

According to the spokesman, Sweden is considering developing a newer version of the Gripen fighter to replace its air force. Therefore, Ukraine will have the prospect of receiving these aircraft.

Ignat added that Ukrainian pilots have already tested Gripen fighters in Sweden.

"During the first visit to the Kingdom of Sweden, the commander of the Air Force left specialists there, when the meeting was actually taking place, to investigate the possibility of providing Ukraine with these aircraft and to conduct some familiarization flights on these aircraft in order to understand how it works and provide a full report - we can can't we get this technique,” ​​the spokesperson explained.

He emphasized that "these were not pilot trainings, but the training of the military will begin only after the decision on the transfer of Gripen aircraft is announced, while the consultations are ongoing."

In August, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, announced that Ukrainian pilots had begun testing Swedish Gripen fighter jets.

Ukraine has repeatedly stated that the appearance of Western fighter jets in Ukraine can change the situation on the battlefield, because Russia has "complete advantage in the sky" in the occupied territories.

Kyiv received promises from allies to transfer modern F-16 fighters. Currently, Ukrainian pilots are undergoing training on the F-16. A typical F-16 training course lasts about six months. However, US officials have indicated that Ukrainian pilots are unlikely to follow the standard model, as the course will meet Ukraine's needs to protect the skies from Russian aircraft, drones and missiles.

Ukraine is expected to receive these aircraft from Western partners after the training missions are over. Denmark announced that it will deliver the first batch of F-16s to Kyiv in the spring of 2024.

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