Gripen for Ukraine: Swedish parliament seeks immediate decision on fighter jet supplies
Gripen (Photo: US Air Forces)

The leader of the Swedish Centre Party, Muharrem Demirok, is pushing for an immediate decision on supplying Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine, as was reported by Aftonbladet.

Representatives of the Social Democratic Party have also partially supported these demands, according to the publication.

Demirok expects decisions regarding the aircraft supply from the Swedish Prime Minister as early as today. The Centre Party has long insisted on sending planes to Ukraine, even before Sweden's NATO accession, journalists reported.

"If we know anything about Ukraine, it's that air superiority means everything for advancing the front," said Demirok.

The leader of the party also added that Saab Jas company openly stated that the company has a series of ready-made airframes, meaning it's possible to replace the planes that might be sent to Ukraine relatively quickly.

On February 16, the Swedish Minister of Defense, Pål Jonson, confirmed that he is willing to consider the possibility of transferring Gripen fighters to Ukraine after his country joins NATO.

On February 26, the Hungarian Parliament officially voted for Sweden's NATO membership. Hungary was the only country that hadn't approved the membership application until today. 

REFERENCE
Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a Swedish multi-role fourth-generation fighter jet developed in the late 1980s and adopted into service in 1996. Its maximum takeoff weight is 16.5 tons, and it has ten weapon hardpoints. Thanks to increased fuel capacity, the combat radius is extended to 1300 km. Gripen is recognized as the most economical fourth-generation fighter. The price of an aircraft ranges from $30 million to $60 million, depending on configuration and delivery terms. Gripen fighters are considered by the Armed Forces of Ukraine as one of the aircraft types, after American F-16s, that could strengthen the Ukrainian aviation component in a limited quantity.

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warfighter jetSwedenGripenmilitary assistanceMuharrem Demirok