Sweden and Ukraine have signed a letter of intent to explore the potential export of up to 150 Gripen fighter jets, marking what could become the largest aircraft export in Sweden’s history.

The announcement came during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s visit to Linköping, where he and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson met at Saab’s facilities — the manufacturer of the JAS 39 Gripen, GlobalEye surveillance aircraft, and several missile and defense systems.

Kristersson stated that the agreement outlines long-term cooperation in air defense, including the possibility of providing 100 to 150 Gripen E aircraft to Ukraine. “We fully realize it’s a long road ahead of us,” he said, standing beside a Gripen fighter jet. “But from today we are committed to exploring all possibilities in providing Ukraine with a large amount of Gripen fighters in the future.”

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Zelenskiy described the Gripen as a top priority for Ukraine’s air force modernization efforts. “We have started the work to obtain Gripens to Ukraine and expect the future contract to allow us to acquire no less than 100 such jets,” he said through a translator. Ukrainian pilots have already been training in Sweden to evaluate the aircraft and prepare for potential integration.

The Gripen, first introduced in 1996, has been produced in around 280 units to date. Saab currently builds the latest Gripen E variant in Sweden and Brazil and plans to ramp up production to 20–30 aircraft per year. Sweden’s own order for 60 Gripen E jets is underway.

Kristersson noted that while no deliveries are yet confirmed, production and transfer of the first aircraft could take about three years. Zelenskiy expressed hopes for Ukraine to begin operating the jets next year, saying, “For our army, Gripens are a priority. It is about money, about maneuvers.”

Before traveling to Sweden, Zelenskiy made a brief stop in Oslo, where Norway pledged 1.5 billion Norwegian crowns (about $149 million) in additional aid for Ukraine’s energy needs.