Swedish Gripen aircraft in Ukraine could outperform F-16 - aviation expert

He spoke about this on Espreso TV.

"It is difficult to simultaneously master two aircraft, both the F-16 and the Gripen, because it places a significant burden on the air defense structure. However, from the perspective of addressing the issues and tasks we face on the front line, mastering both systems would be very advantageous. The Gripen requires very little maintenance. These aircraft are designed to land on highways, and this is not just in case of an emergency. The Gripen is capable of carrying SCALP and Storm Shadow missiles. Additionally, a serious and very powerful Meteor air-to-air missile can be attached to the Gripen. This missile cannot be mounted on the F-16," the aviation expert noted.

According to him, the F-16 is equipped exclusively with American weapons, as this is the concept behind its development.

"But the Gripen could even outperform the F-16 in this case because the Meteor missile operates on different principles. The Meteor has a ramjet engine, which maintains high speed until impact, unlike a traditional rocket engine. It also has a significant range. With this range, it would be possible to hit Su-35 and Su-34. In other words, the Meteor missile is very powerful and has a long reach, leaving the Russian forces with no escape. I regret that we do not have Gripen aircraft, and this missile cannot be installed on F-16s," Kryvolap summarized.

• Foreign Minister Tobias Billström indicated Sweden's willingness to eventually provide Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine and clarified why the supply process was paused.