Swedish Saab plans to open fighter jet production in Ukraine

18:15, 27.10.2025 1 min read

The Swedish company Saab intends to open an aircraft assembly plant in Ukraine as part of a proposed deal for Kyiv to purchase up to 150 Gripen fighter jets, the company's CEO Mikael Johansson told the Financial Time.

"It's not that easy, but it would be great to create capacity, at least for final assembly and testing, and maybe for the production of some parts in Ukraine," Johansson said.

"The agreement with Ukraine on the supply of 100-150 fighters will more or less double the capacity requirements," he noted.

Earlier, it was reported that Ukraine intended to purchase up to 150 Gripen fighters from Sweden at the expense of Russian frozen assets.

Ukraine currently operates American-made F-16 fighters, as well as French Mirage fighters.

Gripen is a family of modern multi-role fighters developed by the Swedish company Saab. According to the manufacturer, they are lightweight and maneuverable.