Ukraine is working to build a fleet of 250 modern fighter aircraft, including F-16s, Swedish Gripens, and French Rafales, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday.
The program is part of Ukraine’s long-term strategy to modernize the Ukrainian Air Force (UAF) and strengthen national security.
“We are holding parallel talks with Sweden, France, and the United States. The overall goal is a fleet of 250 new aircraft. This is our future,” Zelensky said during a briefing with journalists, including RBC-Ukraine correspondent.
Zelensky said Ukraine is negotiating three types of fighters. The selection of F-16s, Gripens, and Rafales is based on the experience of Ukrainian pilots and Russia’s military capabilities.
Swedish Saab JAS39 Gripen Series E
The Swedish Gripen is a priority for Ukraine. Zelensky said the jets are cheaper to maintain, pilots can be trained on them in about six months, and they can even take off from and land on roadways.
The aircraft are compatible with most weapons currently used by Ukraine, from both US and European defense industries.
Zelensky also announced a preliminary agreement with Sweden for 150 Saab JAS39 Gripens, including local production.
“We agreed with Sweden that we will sign a contract, and Ukraine will have 150 new Gripens. This is a long road, but a very good option,” he said.
On Oct. 22, Kyiv and Stockholm signed a letter of intent for Sweden’s Saab AB to sell 100-150 of the latest-generation Series E Gripen fighters to Ukraine over the next 10-15 years.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson hailed the planned deal as a “long-term” one, saying initial deliveries could start in roughly three years.
Shortly after the two countries signed an agreement, reports emerged that Swedish arms maker Saab was considering opening a final assembly plant in Ukraine for its Gripen fighters.
The Financial Times (FT), citing Saab CEO Micael Johansson, said the plant was eyeing production expansion in Brazil, and possibly in Canada and elsewhere in Europe – plus Ukraine – to cope with the high number of jets planned.
“It is not so easy during a war, but it would be great to set up a capacity for at least final assembly and tests and maybe part production in Ukraine,” Johansson told the FT.
Johansson said the planned deal marked a huge jump from current production numbers.
French Dassault Rafale
“President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine is actively negotiating with France over a possible acquisition of Dassault Rafale fighter jets,” according to a report by independent defense and security news outlet Defense Blog.
The Rafale, France’s most advanced fourth-generation-plus multirole fighter, has not been officially approved for transfer to Ukraine, which the French Defense Ministry says is still a priority for their own fighter fleet.
Currently, the Mirage 2000-5F, a fourth-generation air defense fighter with air-to-air and limited air-to-ground capabilities, is the French contribution to Ukrainian air power.
Zelensky confirmed that a new batch of Mirage 2000-5F fighters is slated to arrive soon, along with additional air-to-air missiles.
F-16s will be the backbone of Ukraine’s fighter fleet for now
Once Belgium transfers its promised 30 F-16s to the UAF, pending the F-35s that are replacing them, Ukraine will have a fleet of around 86 F-16AM (single-seat) and F-16BM (two-seat) Block 20 Mid-Life Update airframes.
While these are some of the earliest production F-16s still in service, the Mid-Life Update (MLU) in the 2000-2010 decade brought the NATO warplanes nearly up to the current US operational F-16CM standards. These MLU aircraft also underwent significant upgrades to their electronic warfare (EW) systems before transfer to the UAF.
There are no publicly known discussions about Ukraine acquiring the latest F-16V Block 70 (GE engine) or Block 72 (Pratt & Whitney engine) under contract or discussions for sale to Taiwan, Bahrain, Slovakia, Peru and other countries. Upgrading Ukraine’s fleet to Block 72 is an option that could also be explored.
Or the UAF could hold out for the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II in its long-term plans.
Modernized fighter fleet for the UAF’s future
Zelensky said adopting these new aviation platforms will allow Ukraine to defend its skies more effectively and integrate its defense industry with Western technology standards.