MILAN – Ukraine is inching closer to obtaining Swedish Gripen fighter jets as part of its year-long quest to acquire the fourth-generation aircraft type, which is designed to operate from austere airstrips.

Ukrainian and Swedish officials announced Oct. 22 the signing of a letter of intent for the export of up to 150 aircraft jets to Kyiv, which could provide the war-torn country with an advantage against a wide range of electronic-warfare and missile threats.

Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson said Ukraine had requested between 100 and 150 aircraft, specifically in the latest E variant, and that the Stockholm government was assessing different long-term mechanisms to finance such a large order.

During a press conference in Linköping, the hub for Swedish aerospace company Saab, Prime

See Full Page