Sweden Confirms That Ukrainian Pilots to Test Their Gripen Fighters

The Ministry of Defence of Sweden has confirmed that Ukrainian pilots will participate in a "familiarisation training" on Swedish JAS 39 Gripen fighters.

According to the Swedish Ministry of Defence statement, the Swedish Armed Forces "will be tasked with conducting familiarisation training for Ukrainian pilots and associated aviation technical personnel on the JAS 39 aircraft."

"The prerequisites are that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have expressed a desire to have the opportunity to assess the JAS 39 quickly, as strengthening Ukraine's air defence with a modern fighter aircraft system is one of the most urgent measures," the statement added.

In May, the Swedish Minister of Defence, Pål Jonson, announced the training of several Ukrainian pilots on JAS 39 Gripen in response to a request from the Ukrainian side without mentioning their provision.

The Ukrainian government has repeatedly sought assistance from several countries, including Sweden, for fighter aircraft. Requests were made as early as the summer of 2022, and in February 2023, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov expressed Ukraine's desire to have JAS 39 Gripen.

However, at the recent "Ramstein," Reznikov stated that Kyiv was primarily focused on F-16 fighters.

Furthermore, as part of a new military assistance package, the Swedish government has agreed to the participation of up to 60 troops from the Swedish Armed Forces in establishing logistics and maintenance hubs for military equipment near Ukraine, such as in Poland.