Ukrainian President Zelensky went to the headquarters of the Saab Group in Sweden on October 22, sat in the cockpit of the JAS-39 "Gripen" fighter jet, and immediately announced the signing of the historic agreement: Ukraine will receive at least 100 Swedish Eagle Lion fighter jetsThis is Ukraine’s largest purchase of fighter jets since the outbreak of the conflict.
In the testimony of Swedish Prime Minister Christensen, Zelensky stressed that “neither inch of Ukraine’s land will surrender.” and just days ago, Trump just cancelled a meeting with Putin in Budapest, where the peace talks hoped to break again.
A large order of fighter jets landed suddenly, Swedish Gripen flew directly to the Ukrainian battlefield
Zelensky and Swedish Prime Minister Christensen. Letter of Intent for Cooperation in Air Capability DevelopmentThe document clearly agreed that Ukraine would receive 100 to 150 Eagle Lion E fighter jets.
As the pearl of Sweden's aviation industry, the "Gripen" is a 4.5-generation multi-role fighter. It has short take-off and landing capabilities and can take off and land on highways. The maintenance cost is only one third of that of the US-made F-16, which perfectly fits the current battlefield environment in Ukraine.
Compared to the F-16, which needed to improve infrastructure, the Eagle Lion was almost tailored for Ukraine.Most of Ukraine’s airports were destroyed, and the decentralized operational concept of the Eagle Lion allowed it to be rapidly deployed on road sections, greatly improving its survival.
Zelensky said: “Ukraine must do its utmost to start using the Eagle Lion next year, one of the best fighters in the world.”
The timing of this deal is intriguing. Just before Zelensky visited Sweden, Trump canceled the planned "Trump Conference"The peace process in Russia is once again at an impasse.
Trump announced the cancellation of the meeting on social platforms, saying that "this is not appropriate for a meeting." The reason behind this is that his proposed ceasefire plan was rejected by both Russia and Ukraine: Ukraine is unwilling to accept territorial losses, while Russia insists that the entire Donbas must be controlled.
U.S. military aid to Ukraine slowed significantly after Trump took office, forcing Zelensky to turn his eyes to Europe. Sweden, as a new NATO member, is eager to prove its value within the alliance, and military aid to Ukraine is its best "entry ticket".
European countries are increasing their support., trying to stabilize Ukraine, the frontline barrier against Russia. If Ukraine falls, Poland and the three Baltic countries will directly face Russian pressure, and the European security landscape will be completely rewritten.
Ambitious plans face reality tests. Sabo Group only produces 18 units per year.In addition, the Swedish Air Force itself has a demand for replacement, with Brazil ordering 36 Eagle Lion aircraft in 2014 and delivering fewer than 10 aircraft so far.
Swedish Prime Minister Christensen’s expectations were more cautious than those of Zelensky, who said the first aircraft delivery “may take three years” and called it “the beginning of a period of 10 to 15 years.”
Pilot training is another big bottleneck. 200 pilots start from scratch to master the "Eagle Lion" fighter aircraft, it takes at least three years. The ground maintenance system needs to be built from scratch, while Ukraine's existing logistics system has been broken apart in the war.
In response to these challenges, the agreement includes long-term industrial cooperation.Sweden will help Ukraine establish a local repair plant, train military personnel and ensure that combat forces can quickly form after the aircraft arrive.
Funding puzzles, war economics of paying for Russian assets
Ukraine's own finances are exhausted, how can it fund the purchase of hundreds of advanced fighter jets? The answer may lie in Russian assets frozen by the West。
Russian overseas assets currently frozen by Western countries exceed $300 billion, Swedish Prime Minister Christensen has suggested that funding for aircraft purchases may partly come from this.
This arrangement is basically “war-to-war”: Ukraine purchases weapons with Russian money to fight against Russia.
Christerson said there is still a lot of work to be done before the final agreement is signed, and financing will be a key link.In addition to freezing assets, allied donations in the "voluntary alliance" are also a potential source of funding.
On the surface, Ukraine is buying warplanes, in fact, it is a big game under Sweden. The 100 order is the largest export contract in Sabo’s history.Once implemented, it will radically change the global aircraft market pattern.
As a veteran European military enterprise, Saab has a global market share of less than 5%. It has been suppressed by Lockheed Martin of the United States and Sukhoi of Russia. This 100-unit order is not only a commercial breakthrough, but also the best promotion of technical strength.
Sweden, which just joined NATO last year, has an urgent need to prove that it is a contributor rather than a beneficiary in the field of security.By helping Ukraine build an air force, Sweden is expected to be promoted from an “ordinary NATO member” to a “critical security player in Eastern Europe.”
The "15 years of long-term cooperation" clause mentioned in the agreement means that the Swedish military industry will go deeper into Eastern Europe.In the future, maintenance, upgrading and ammunition supply for Ukrainian fighters will depend on Sweden, forming a lasting influence link.
Impact of the battlefield, can the Gryphon change the balance of the war?
Military experts analyze that the "Eagle Lion" fighter aircraft has a differential advantage over the existing Soviet fighter aircraft in Ukraine. It is hard to change the warfare.。
The Eagle Lion Type E is equipped with source phase-controlled radar and advanced electronic systems, operating capabilities far outweigh Ukraine's old MiG-29. It is compatible with NATO ammunition systems, ranging from AIM-120 airborne missiles to precision guided bombs.
After Ukraine acquires the "Gripen", it can rely on its short take-off and landing capabilities to implement "hit and run" guerrilla tactics to improve battlefield survivability. Together with the "Aili Eye" early warning aircraft previously assisted by Sweden, a complete combat system can be formed.
But the reality is that the Russian military is currently operating dozens of fighter jets every day to bomb Ukrainian military positions, the Ukrainian military existing air defense system has been difficult to cope with.
It is time, resources and diplomatic games that really determine the situation of the war, not a single weapon system.
In the next few years, more and more "Griffins" will appear in the sky of Ukraine. However, it is still unknown whether these Nordic war eagles can really turn the situation around. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made it clear: All weapons to aid Ukraine are legitimate targets。
Sweden's military production line is accelerating. After all, for Saab Group, this is not only an order for hundreds of aircraft, but also an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the combat effectiveness of the Gripen to the world.
Source of information:
Zelensky: Ukraine will receive at least 100 Eagle Lion fighter jets from Sweden
2025-10-23 04:03 · Finance
Ukraine and Sweden signed a letter of intent to cooperate in the future or buy more than 100 Eagle Lion fighter jets
2025-10-23 18: 01 · Observer.com