Expert: Gripen does not change the game plan
The first Swedish Gripen planes can be delivered to Ukraine next year. But the fighter jets are not expected to be decisive in the fighting, according to defense expert Hans Liwång.
Sweden is donating 16 Gripen planes to Ukraine, and will sell another 20.
But it will be until 2027 before the first planes are in place in the war-torn country. Not least, pilots must first be trained, which could take a few months, according to Hans Liwång, professor of defense systems at the Swedish National Defense University.
– Here and now it is rather the signal value that is important, that Ukraine is building for the future and that Sweden is part of it, he says.
“Closest to the front”
In war, fighter jets are mainly used to launch missiles into the enemy’s territory and to conduct reconnaissance.
– Gripen is rather a way to ensure that this activity can continue even in a year or so. It is not mainly about making a difference, but about maintaining approximately the same capabilities as today, says Hans Liwång.
He foresees that the Gripen plane can be used to strike against military installations, logistics hubs and infrastructure, both in occupied Ukrainian territory and “a bit further” into Russia.
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