Ukraine and Sweden discuss implementing the Gripen project, strengthening air defence, and defence tech cooperation
The Minister of Defence of Ukraine, Mykhailo Fedorov, held a meeting in Kyiv with the Minister for Defence of Sweden, Pål Jonson.
Gripen to strengthen the defence of Ukraine’s skies
Mykhailo Fedorov thanked Sweden and Pål Jonson personally for the landmark agreement on Gripen fighter aircraft and for Sweden’s prompt assistance to Ukraine. The Ukrainian defence minister also congratulated the Swedish delegation on the 100th anniversary of the Swedish Air Force.
Mykhailo Fedorov noted that Gripen aircraft, together with Meteor missiles, together with Meteor missiles, could significantly strengthen the Ukrainian Air Force and help Ukraine regain the initiative in the air. During the meeting, the parties discussed the next steps for implementing the project, including the training of Ukrainian pilots.
PURL and air defence missiles
The Ukrainian Minister of Defence also thanked Sweden for its support of the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List. Sweden has already contributed approximately $500 million to this mechanism for supporting Ukraine.
PURL enables Ukraine to obtain critically needed weapons, particularly to strengthen its air defence.
The parties also discussed ways to supply missiles for air defence systems and further develop Ukraine’s own anti-ballistic project. This is one of Ukraine’s key priorities in protecting its cities from russian aerial attacks.
Middle-strike and deep-strike capabilities
An important focus of cooperation is supporting Ukraine’s middle-strike and deep-strike capabilities.
These capabilities enable the Defence Forces of Ukraine to strike russian logistics, depots, military vehicles and equipment, command posts, and military infrastructure. Ukraine counts on Sweden’s continued support in this area of cooperation.
The parties also explored opportunities for cooperation in satellite communications and the development of an integrated radar network.
Brave Sweden and the Drone Deal
Ukraine and Sweden are working to further strengthen cooperation between their defence industries.
One of the initiatives is the launch of Brave Sweden, built on Ukraine’s Brave1 defence technology cluster. This will help support defence technology solutions from Ukraine and Sweden that can quickly move from development to operational deployment.
Ukraine and Sweden are also preparing a Drone Deal. This cooperation framework will enable the scaling of Ukrainian technologies and the development of mutually beneficial projects for both countries.
Ukraine stands ready to share its experience of modern warfare, particularly in developing short-range air defence capabilities. This experience could help strengthen Sweden’s defence capabilities.
Mykhailo Fedorov thanked Sweden for its leadership, swift decision-making, and commitment to advancing the partnership.
Closer cooperation with Sweden will contribute to the more effective achievement of the objectives of Ukraine’s defence strategy, including strengthening the country’s air defence and stopping the enemy on the ground.