Ukraine weighs merits of F‑16s over Swedish Gripen jets
Anatoliy Khrapchynsky, a former Ukrainian military pilot and now an aviation expert, explained why Ukraine initially declined Swedish JAS-39 Gripen fighters, which they are now interested in.
During a broadcast on a Ukrainian radio station, Khrapchynsky stated that the problem was the number of JAS-39 Gripen fighters that Kyiv could receive from allies. Their declarations clearly showed that it was better to focus on F-16 fighters, of which the West can supply many more. Introducing two new fighters to Ukrainian aviation simultaneously would be too much of a burden for them.
F-16s were more important than JAS-39 Gripens
"It should be noted here that the most common aircraft we could afford was the F-16. There are many of them. The Swedes would not give us more than one squadron, and that was not enough. At that time, we needed to get the aircraft most suitable for our needs as quickly as possible. It was also about quickly training pilots, engineering staff, and preparing the technical base," said Khrapchynsky, quoted by the Unian agency.
Now the situation looks different. After the implementation of the first F-16s in the Ukrainian army, talks with partners about other fighters began anew. The Minister of Defence of Ukraine, Rustem Umerov, confirmed that French Mirage 2000s and JAS-39 Gripens are primarily in consideration.
Fighters ideal for Ukraine?
Due to some of their features, Swedish machines, as Khrapchynsky emphasizes, are almost tailor-made for Ukrainians' needs.
"The JAS-39 Gripen is much cheaper to operate than other aircraft. It is also significantly younger. And its characteristic feature is the ability to take off from short runways, which is very important during wartime," assessed the Ukrainian expert.
The JAS-39 Gripen is a multirole fighter that can reach speeds of up to approximately 2,100 km/h (2 Mach) and operate at altitudes up to around 18,000 metres. Besides being able to operate from short, makeshift runways, it is relatively simple in terms of ground handling and cheaper to maintain than American F-16s. The primary armament of the JAS-39 Gripen consists of the Mauser BK-27 calibre 27 mm cannon, but the aircraft can also carry air-to-air missiles and bombs.
