Gripen with Meteor | New opportunities for Ukraine!

On June 30, Ukraine and Sweden signed an agreement for the purchase of 16 Gripen-I fighters. Along with the aircraft – a full package of equipment, technical assistance, and support. And already at the beginning of '27, the Air Force of the AFU will receive another 16 Gripens of the C/D version free of charge. 32 aircraft – two generations. And this is only the beginning, because Ukraine's long-term ambition is 100 to 150 machines.

But what kind of aircraft is this exactly? And why is the President of Ukraine personally betting that the Gripen will be able to stop the constant bombings of frontline cities by Russian KABs? Today we will find out how it is designed and what armament makes it so necessary and effective for Ukrainian aviation. My name is Anzhelika Kalchenko – this is Military Reports. Let's begin.

Most countries that build combat aircraft do everything under one roof. Sweden does not. And it is precisely thanks to this production logic that the company Saab managed to create a platform that adapts so successfully to modern changes. Saab does not try to produce everything independently. It integrates the best components from around the world into a single combat system.

The engine is American. The radar is British. The missile threat warning system is Israeli. The auxiliary power unit is French. Dozens of companies from five continents – one aircraft. This means that when a new radar appears, better than the previous one, Saab simply integrates it into the existing platform. When the engine changes, the platform adapts. Gripens are not tied to one manufacturer and do not depend on one solution.

That is why between its versions, there is not just a difference in the index, but a fundamental leap in capabilities. This is why this platform remains relevant for decades. And Ukraine is receiving two versions of the Gripen at once, the difference between which is quite significant. So let's break down exactly what we are talking about.

16 machines of the C/D version as free aid and another 16 machines of the IF version under a contract for 2.5 billion euros. This is not the same weapon, but two different generations. Gripen C/D is an aircraft that has been in service in Sweden since the 90s. A very serious machine for its era. The C/D can carry AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-120 AMRAAM, IRIS-T, and even Meteor missiles. That is, the armament is relevant today as well. That's why these aircraft make sense as a first stage. While Ukraine waits for newer machines, the C/D can already fully perform combat missions.

So the question arises: if both versions are capable of attacking with the same missiles, what is the real advantage and value of the Gripen IF?

Let's start with the engine. The C/D is equipped with the RM-12 – a licensed version of the American General Electric F-404, adapted by the Swedish Volvo Aero. Reliable, proven, but developed back in the 70s. On the IF, it is replaced by the F-414 – the next generation from the same GE. The same engine that is on the American Super Hornet. In the Swedish classification, it received the index RM-16.

Production by the British GKN Aerospace Sweden, which received full military certification for this engine in 2020. Greater thrust, lower specific fuel consumption. Better performance at high altitudes. This is not just a modernization; it's a different engine with different capabilities.

But the engine is only part of the picture. Modern air combat is won not by the fastest, but by the one who first saw, first acquired the target, and first fired. The IF received fundamentally new avionics and significantly expanded capabilities for carrying armament. The basis of the sensor system is the Raven IS-05 radar with an active phased array antenna. A development of the Leonardo company.

Production at the plant in Edinburgh. An AESA radar is fundamentally different from classic mechanical radars. It does not rotate the antenna physically, but forms the beam electronically, instantaneously, in any direction. This means faster detection, higher jam-resistance, and the ability to simultaneously track several targets.

But the radar is not the aircraft's only eye. The IF is equipped with the Skyward Gym infrared search and track system. And again, Leonardo. This time the Italian division of the same corporation. This is a passive infrared sensor installed in front of the windshield. It detects targets by thermal radiation without any emission of its own.

That is, the aircraft can detect and track a target without turning on the radar and without revealing its presence. This is already a significant advantage.

But in the conditions of modern war, this may turn out to be not enough. One must also be able to survive after the target has detected you. And here the Gripen also has something to boast about. Several systems are responsible for the survival of the IF. The first is the AREXIS electronic warfare complex, developed by Saab itself.

This is an integrated EW unit with digital radar warning systems and active suppression means. Simply put, it sees when someone illuminates the aircraft with radar and can jam that radar. Additionally on board is the POST-2 missile threat warning system from the Israeli "Elizra". Infrared sensors record the thermal radiation of a missile launch and instantly inform the pilot of the direction of the threat. And the BRATCLOUD system from LEONARDO ejects an active decoy 5-6 meters from the aircraft, which misleads missiles with an active homing head.

This is especially relevant for Ukraine, as the enemy is constantly adapting. In Ukrainian airspace, there are even Shaheds with air-to-air missiles on board, intended to shoot down Ukrainian aircraft that have taken to the sky for interception.

Thus, we have found that the Gripen sees first and protects itself better than most modern aircraft. Ultimately, the main goal of a fighter is to destroy the target. And for this, the Gripen has a full arsenal of missiles capable of hitting it under practically any conditions. This aircraft can carry three types of air-to-air missiles, each for its own task.

And together they cover the entire range of air combat – from close-range to those where the target does not even suspect that it is already being hunted. Starting with close-range combat. IRIS-T is a missile developed as a "Six Countries" operation under German leadership. In the Swedish classification, it is known as RB-98. Range – up to 25 kilometers. Speed – Mach 3. Mass – 89 kilograms. Warhead – 11.4 kilograms of explosive-fragmentary type with a radar…

detonator. The missile is capable of hitting targets from any angle, including targets behind the "Carrier" aircraft. It has capture modes before launch and after launch. Maneuverability of 60G at 60 degrees per second. For comparison, the American IAM-9L Sidewinder, a missile of the same class, loses to Aresti in launch distance on head-on courses by 5-8 times.

Aresti covers close combat. But modern aerial warfare has long since gone beyond the distances where aircraft see each other. At medium distances, the Gripen has the IAM-120 AMRAAM – one of the most combat-proven air-to-air missiles in history. AMRAAM is a weather-guided medium-range missile. Depending on the modification, the launch range is from 55 to 120 kilometers. Speed of four machs – about 4.9 kilometers per hour. Length – 3.66 meters. Launch mass – 150 kilograms.

The guidance system is combined – inertial guidance on the march in the section with radio correction from the carrier aircraft and an active radar homing head on the terminal. This means a fire-and-forget mode. After launch, the pilot can immediately perform an evasion maneuver or attack another target while the missile independently brings the strike to completion. AMRAAM is integrated with all main NATO fighters and has confirmed combat effectiveness in real conflicts. For Ukraine, this also means compatibility with NASAMS ground systems, meaning the same missile works from an aircraft and from the ground.

120 kilometers is a serious range. But there is another missile that explains why the Gripen became a priority for Ukraine and why Russia has serious reasons for concern. Meet the Meteor. It is this weapon that changes the logic of using Russian aviation over Ukraine. The Meteor is produced by the European concert MBDA with the participation of about 50 companies from 5 countries. Length – 367 meters, mass – 190 kilograms, declared maximum range – over 200 kilometers.

But the main thing is not the range, the main thing is the engine. The Meteor is equipped with a cruising ramjet air-breathing engine – a ramjet. Unlike solid-fuel missiles, which spend their entire fuel supply on acceleration, the ramjet maintains high speed throughout the flight. The speed of the Meteor is four machs, about 4600 km per hour. And this speed is maintained right up to the moment of hitting the target. This means that the so-called no-escape zone, the distance at which the target can no longer escape from the missile, is 3-6 times larger for the Meteor compared to other modern missiles of a similar class.

Navigation is combined – inertial system, radio correction and an active radar homing head on the final section. Effective even in conditions of active radar interference. So, what is the main value of these missiles for Ukraine? Every day Russian aircraft drop guided aviation bombs from a distance of 50-70 km from the front line, staying beyond the reach of Ukrainian air defense.

Gripen with Meteor changes this balance. To remain outside the strike zone of the Meteor, the Kaviv carrier must move so far from the front line that the precise dropping of aviation bombs on Ukrainian cities becomes simply impossible. Meteor is a tool that forces Russian aviation to rewrite its tactics. The Gripen has another advantage that is spoken of much less often than the missiles.

Modern war in Ukraine has demonstrated – airbases are targets. Russia systematically hits airfields, runways, infrastructure. An aircraft that requires perfect concrete and an extensive surface support system becomes vulnerable in such conditions even before it has taken off. Gripen can take off from short sections of highway and dirt sites. For maintenance between sorties, a small mobile team is sufficient. This means that aircraft can be dispersed throughout the territory of the country, not concentrated at a few large bases, but distributed across dozens of temporary sites.

For comparison, the F-16 is not designed for take-offs from damaged or improvised runways. Any foreign object on the surface can cause irreparable damage. Therefore, before each sortie, the runway requires careful check and cleaning. Gripen is significantly less demanding in this regard. And one more point – the pilots. An experienced combat pilot needs only about six months to switch to the Gripen. Survivability, mobility, fast retraining – the Gripen was created for a country under constant threat. Ukraine is exactly such a country now. 30 in the number of such is not all. Deliveries of CD are planned for the beginning of the 27th year, in parallel work is underway on a contract for the EF.

SAAB is able to produce 20-30 machines per year and is preparing to increase the pace. The long-term ambition is from 100 to 150 Gripen and EF. From 2033, Ukraine expects to localize their production within itself. SAAB is ready to open a final assembly line on Ukrainian territory. This is no longer just the purchase of weapons, but, in fact, aviation construction infrastructure. 150 Gripen and EF, plus 80-some F-16s from Allies, an aviation park of the level of a medium European state.

And while the Gripen is preparing to change the situation in the air, on ground targets in the rear of the enemy, a drone costing less than 5 thousand euros is already working. It hits at 160 kilometers, destroys logistics, remaining practically unnoticed. So we advise you to watch this video if you are interested in knowing how it manages this and what a "Hornet" strike drone is as a whole.

That's all from me. Thank you for watching "Militarny". See you!