Why Ukraine Needs the Gripen Now!

The Swedish JAS 39 Gripen is my favorite fighter jet; it’s also the aircraft Ukraine should have had yesterday. While Ukrainian pilots are pushing aging MiGs and Su-27s to the breaking point, the Gripen offers exactly what Ukraine needs: survivability, affordability, and the ability to fight from a highway if that’s what it takes.

In this video, I break down why the Gripen would be a game-changer for Ukraine and why waiting until “after the war” to deliver them is a mistake:

• Built for Dispersed Ops: Gripens can launch from highways, frozen lakes, or makeshift strips. No more predictable, high-value air bases for Russia to target.
• Maintenance Made Simple: Designed for Sweden’s “day one war” mindset, the Gripen can be serviced in the field by small teams with basic tools. For Ukraine, that’s the difference between grounded squadrons and a fighting air force.
• Cost per Flight Hour: Gripen is far cheaper to fly than the F-16, giving Ukraine more sorties, more training, and more operational flexibility.
• Networked Warfare: With NATO’s Link 16 built in, Gripens share data with drones, AWACS, and SAMs in real time, creating an integrated hit web Russia can’t match.
• Survivability by Design: Gripen was built to operate after its bases were flattened. For Ukraine, that’s not a hypothetical; that’s daily life.
• Weapons Buffet: Meteor BVRAAMs to swat Su-35s at 100+ km, IRIS-T for dogfights, RBS-15 for sinking Russian ships, and JDAMs for precision strikes. Gripen brings options that Ukraine simply doesn’t have today.

Yes, Ukraine is getting F-16s, and that’s a big deal. But Gripen is the fighter designed for Ukraine’s exact conditions: fast turnarounds, cheap flight hours, and rugged survivability under fire.

So why wait? Sweden has the jets. Ukraine has the need. And every day lost is another day Russian bombers launch glide bombs at Ukrainian cities.

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Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the heroes. Crimea is Ukraine.

Video sources: DoD

tldr: Ukraine's need for a modern fighter is dire, and the Saab Gripen could be the fighter jet they need to turn the tide. Imagine the impact of this advanced military aviation platform in the Ukraine war, providing crucial aviation and altering the dynamics of drone warfare. This military asset could be a game-changer.

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