The Ideal Fighter for Ukraine Found in the USA 0 72

The Swedish SAAB JAS 39 Gripen would be the ideal fighter for Ukraine. This is stated by Peter Suciu, a columnist for the American magazine The National Interest (NI).

According to the author, the JAS 39 Gripen "has a number of advantages that could make it an ideal option for Ukraine." In particular, the aircraft is capable of engaging in air combat and performing air-to-ground operations, as well as "can operate from sites with limited access, including remote roads converted into temporary runways."

The aircraft, according to the author, is also "equipped with a reinforced landing gear that raises the fuselage high above the ground, preventing debris from entering the jet engine's air intake."

Other advantages of the aircraft mentioned by the columnist include minimal maintenance requirements and a diverse array of armaments — air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, as well as modern avionics and radar.

"The problem for Sweden is how many fighters it can allocate, if at all," Suciu writes, noting that Sweden currently has fewer than 100 JAS 39 Gripen aircraft.

In June, Breaking Defense reported that as part of the Beyond program, artificial intelligence participated for the first time in the management of the JAS 39 Gripen E fighter from the Swedish company Saab.

In March 2023, the Defense News portal noted that the best fighter that Western countries could supply to Ukraine would be the Swedish JAS 39 Gripen.