Sweden has included spare parts for the Saab JAS 39 Gripen in a wider package of military aid for Ukraine as a precursor to a potential transfer of combat aircraft to the country.
Sweden will send its 17th aid package to Ukraine with further military support totalling 4.6 billion Swedish crowns ($443 million), Defence Minister Pal Jonson said on Monday.
The new package will include ammunition for infantry fighting vehicles already donated by Sweden, as well as purchases that would facilitate a transfer of Gripen fighter jets in the future, though no such transfer has been decided on yet.
About half of the value of the package consisted of parts needed in Sweden’s production of the latest model Gripen E fighters for its own air force. This would mean Sweden would not as previously planned need to cannibalize its existing C/D models as part of the upgrade, allowing the older jets to transferred to Ukraine at a possible future date.
Half of the value of the SEK4.6 billion (USD440 million) aid package announced on 9 September – the 17th that Sweden has authorised since the launch of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 – comprises parts for the Gripen C/D ahead of a potential transfer.
“At the moment, transferring Gripen [aircraft] to Ukraine is not a viable option, as it would interfere with the prioritised introduction of [Lockheed Martin] F-16 [Fighting Falcon] fighters,” the Swedish government said in its announcement.
“However, in parallel the Swedish government is continuing its efforts to establish conditions for a possible future support of Gripen fighters to Ukraine. Support package 17 does so by acquiring materiel parts for the Gripen worth approximately SEK2.3 billion,” it added.
As noted in the announcement, the particular Gripen C/D parts being donated are those that were due to be reused in newbuild Gripen E aircraft.
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