Ukraine to Receive F-16, Mirage, and Gripen Jets – Expert on Expanding Ukraine’s Air Fleet

Political strategist Mykhailo Sheitelman stated that, although formal negotiations are ongoing, Ukraine will definitely receive Gripen fighter jets. He also explained why they might even be better than the F-16s, according to Politeka.

He spoke about this in his blog.

“It looks like, despite our enemies’ schemes, Swedish Gripen fighter jets are heading our way. First, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Defense Havryliuk announced that the Armed Forces would receive Gripens, and then Sweden said they’re still considering it and haven’t finalized an agreement yet. We understand what ‘not finalized’ really means, of course. We’ll quietly take delivery of the Gripens without much noise or fuss,” said Mykhailo Sheitelman.

According to the expert, we can be quite certain about this because back in early 2024, Sweden had already offered these jets to Ukraine. At that time, Ukraine declined because it wasn’t feasible to train pilots on both the Gripen and the F-16 simultaneously — we had to focus on one. But now, he notes, it seems the shortage of pilots has been resolved, and the time has come for the Swedish jets.

“So, we’ll have F-16s, Mirages, and Gripens in service. That’s pretty amazing. Who would’ve expected this? Fourth-generation Gripen fighter jets. The main idea behind this aircraft — as I’ve asked a competent artificial intelligence about it — is versatility, low operational cost, and ease of maintenance with small teams. These are all the areas where it outperforms the F-16,” Sheitelman emphasizes.

He does acknowledge that there are some characteristics in which the Gripen is inferior to the F-16. Still, he adds, the operating cost per flight hour for an F-16 is about $20,000, whereas for a Gripen it’s only $5,000–$7,000. That’s a crucial factor, he stresses, for the post-war period. Right now, European allies are covering operational expenses, but after the war, the aircraft will remain with Ukraine — and Ukraine will have to foot the bill itself.

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