Ukraine and its partners are considering the possibility of adding Swedish Gripen fighters to complement the F-16. This was announced by a representative of the Ukrainian Air Force, Yurii Ihnat, during a national Ukrainian TV news marathon on December 10.
"The main combat aircraft will be the F-16... The Gripen is also under consideration; the Swedish party may transfer to Ukraine the quantity it currently has. We're not specifying the quantity, but the F-16 remains the primary combat aircraft. If a decision is made regarding the Gripen, it would be a good option for us", - he said.
According to the spokesperson, Sweden is exploring the possibility of developing a new version of the Gripen fighter for its air force. Therefore, Ukraine will have the prospect of receiving these aircraft.
Ihnat 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 took place to explore the possibility of providing Ukraine with these aircraft. They conducted certain familiarization flights on these planes to understand how it works and to provide a comprehensive report on whether we can or cannot obtain this technology", - the spokesperson explained.
He emphasized that "these were not pilot exercises, and military training will only begin after a decision is announced on the transfer of Gripen aircraft; consultations are ongoing".
Back in August, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukrainian pilots had started testing Swedish Gripen fighters.
It was also previously reported that the Commander-in-Chief of the Swedish Army visited Ukrainian artillerymen at the front line.