Ukraine Locks $2.5B Gripen E Deal: First AESA Radar Fighter as NATO Summit Looms

Ukraine has signed a major Gripen E procurement deal worth SEK 24.6 billion (about $2.5 billion), locking in 16 Saab JAS 39 Gripen E multirole fighters as the first new-build fleet modernization in the Ukrainian Air Force’s history. The contract was signed June 30 in Kyiv with Swedish officials and Saab representatives present, with Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Sergiy Boyev and Swedish Defence Materiel Administration Director General Mikael Granholm signing, and President Volodymyr Zelensky attending the ceremony alongside Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson. The package includes the aircraft, spare parts, mission software, ground support assets, and ongoing technical assistance and logistics. Saab will book the order in its third-quarter 2026 results, with deliveries planned to FMV across 2029 and 2030. The deal is positioned ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7–8, where new European-funded defence contracts are expected, and it is framed by RUSI analysts as suited to Ukraine’s dispersed basing and rapid turnaround needs. Competitive context includes Ukraine’s current F-16AM+ inventory and a small number of Mirage 2000-5F aircraft.