President Volodymyr Zelensky has emphasized Kyiv’s need for Gripen fighters, stressing that they are well-suited to Ukrainian conditions and could be integrated into the nation’s air force without delay.
The Ukrainian Air Force currently comprises a mix of Soviet-era aircraft and Western-supplied fighters, including the American-made F-16 Fighting Falcon and the French Dassault Mirage 2000. Kyiv has sought to incorporate the F-35 Lightning II, the Swedish Saab JAS-39 Gripen, and the French Dassault Rafale into its future fleet.
The odds that Ukraine will receive F-35s in the near future are extremely slim. Yet Stockholm has acknowledged that it would be open to supplying Kyiv with the Gripen when the hostilities end. Paris may be willing to supply the Rafale even sooner, provided its own production shortfalls can be addressed. Ukraine aims to maintain a fleet of approximately 250 combat aircraft in its air force after the war concludes, according to a report from Aerotime.
JAS 39 Gripen vs. Dassault Rafale—A Head-to-Head Comparison
| Aircraft | Dassault Rafale (France) | JAS 39 Gripen E (Sweden) |
| Year Introduced | 2001 | 2025 |
| Number Built | 300 (~240 delivered) | Unknown (60 ordered) |
| Length | 15.3 m (50 ft 2 in) | 15.2 m (49.8 ft) |
| Wingspan | 10.9 m (35 ft 9 in) | 8.6 m (28.2 ft) |
| Weight (MTOW) | ~24,500 kg (54,000 kg) | 16,500 kg (36,376 lb) |
| Engines | Two Safran M88-2 afterburning turbofan engines | One General Electric F414G afterburning turbofan engine |
| Top Speed | ~1,915 km/h (1,190 mph) at altitude | ~1,266 mph (2,037 km/h) at altitude |
| Combat Radius | ~1,850 km (1,150 mi) | ~1,300 km (810 mi) |
| Service Ceiling | ~15,240 m (50,000 ft) | 15,850 m (52,000 ft) |
| Loadout | 14 hardpoints (13 on Rafale M naval variant); 9,500 kg (20,900 lb) total payload capacity | One Mauser BK-27 27mm single-barrel revolver cannon; 10 hardpoints; ~7,200 kg (15,873 lb) payload capacity |
| Aircrew | 1–2, depending on variant | 1 |
Ukraine Could Use the Gripen Right Away, Zelensky Says
In a press conference last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested that the Gripen would be ideally suited for use in Ukraine, due to its low maintenance requirements and easier integration into the Ukrainian Air Force compared to the F-16.
“Maintenance of Gripen is the cheapest, because the smallest number of people must be involved,” Zelensky told reporters. “For our pilot with expertise and experience, it is not a year and a half of training, as, for example, we had with the F-16, but six months. All the take-off and landing technical capabilities of Gripen are also advantageous—they can take off and land on [austere] runways.”
The Ukrainian leader further highlighted the JAS-39’s compatibility with Western ordnance.
“As for Gripen, everything is hooked on it. Probably, almost everything that Ukraine uses—missiles and other weapons—can all be hooked on it,” Zelensky added.
The latest variant of the Saab JAS 39, the Gripen E, offers a longer range and can carry a larger payload than the Gripen C/D models currently in service. It is outfitted with a new system of sensors, radar, and communication systems, as well as more advanced software, including the Raven ES-05 AESA radar, the Skyward-G infrared search and track system, and the Areix electronic warfare (EW) suite.
The Gripen E is also equipped with the more powerful GE F414G engine, which includes increased fuel capacity and features 10 external hardpoints that allow it to carry a large weapons load or sensors. Among the weapons that the Gripen E can carry are the Meteor beyond-visual-range (BVR) missile and the IRIS-T short-range infrared homing air-to-air missile for close-range threats.
The Dassault Rafale Might Head to Ukraine Later
Paris has already supplied Kyiv with an undisclosed number of Dassault Mirage 2000 jet fighters, and Dassault has indicated it would be ready to supply Rafales in the future. That is a turnaround from last year, when French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu ruled out an imminent transfer of the omnirole aircraft, citing delays in foreign military sales.
It was only last month that Dassault Aviation announced it had completed production of its 300th Rafale. The jet remains in high demand, with customers from eight foreign nations now operating or adopting the aircraft. With 533 on order, 233 have yet to be delivered, including 53 for the French Air & Space Forces.
Dassault pledged to increase production to four aircraft per month, but even at that pace, it could take more than four years to meet the current orders—all while foreign clients continue to place additional orders.
It has been reported that any delivery of the Rafale to Ukraine would be seen as a “medium-term possibility,” as contracts with India, Egypt, Greece, and Indonesia—as well as for its domestic requirements—would need to be addressed first.
The Dassault Rafale—literally meaning “gust of wind,” or “burst of fire” in a military sense—was conceived for use by the French Air Force and Navy as an omnirole fighter, intended to replace seven different types of French combat aircraft in operation at the time of its development.
Ukraine Already Has F-16 Fighting Falcons and Mirage 2000s
Even as Ukraine considers its postwar air force needs, it will continue to receive additional F-16 Fighting Falcons. NATO member Belgium has begun to receive its Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning IIs, allowing it to transfer its F-16s to Ukraine.
Zelensky also confirmed in his address that an additional batch of Mirage 2000s was being supplied, along with air defense missiles, by France. It is unclear when the aircraft will arrive, but it will allow Kyiv to continue shifting away from its Soviet-era legacy jet fighters.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock / Sanit Fuangnakhon.
