Ukraine needs F-16s now, but this rugged jet made for the Russia threat could be the better choice for its future fighter fleet

Russia has been targeting Ukrainian air bases suitable for F-16s. “If you’re right under somebody’s shadow, you need to be able to operate from roads,” Bohnert said.

The emerging missile threat has led nations farther away to look into the practice as well. The US and its partners in Europe have been training with increasing regularity for dispersed air operations using highways as improvised runways for combat aircraft like the F-35, Eurofighter, A-10, and others.

The Gripen, designed at the end of the Cold War and built to defeat Russia’s highly maneuverable Sukhoi fighter aircraft, is considered among the better fourth-generation fighters and is regarded as an excellent jet for these kinds of operations.

Retired US Army Maj. Gen. Gordon “Skip” Davis, who served as NATO’s deputy assistant secretary-general for its Defense Investment Division, told BI that Swedens’ Gripens have “a number of advantages” that benefit Ukraine and would likely work well with the dispersal tactics Ukraine has been employing since the start of the war to keep Russians from destroying its smaller air force.

The jet’s flexibility makes it “much better for a country that’s bordering an aggressor,” Bohnert said. “You’ll probably get more effectiveness out of an F-16 against Russia out of Germany, whereas the Gripen will get more capability out of Ukraine or some other bordering country.”

The Gripen is also a lighter maintenance lift than some other aircraft, the F-16 included.

The then-commander of Sweden’s air force, Mats Helgesson, said in 2019 that the Gripen was “designed to kill Sukhois.”

Gordon noted the Gripen’s electronic warfare capabilities, characterizing it as a “big advantage,” as well as the jet’s small radar signature and its maneuverability in a dogfight. The Gripen can also be equipped with very long-range air-to-air missiles.

A potential transition

Sweden appears to be inching closer to giving Ukraine the jets but still seems a long way off from committing any.

Ukraine’s future air force

Air warfare experts have described Ukraine’s acquisition of its first F-16s as the beginning of building Ukraine’s long-term air force.

US officials have also described it as a long-term project, with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin saying last year that the US would lead a coalition focused on increasing the Ukrainian air force’s ability to defend itself against Russia in the long run.

The Gripen is good, but the F-16 is probably the best option right now.

As the most popular Western fighter, there are many more jets and spare parts allies could choose to give Ukraine, Tim Robinson, a military aviation specialist at the UK’s Royal Aeronautical Society, told BI.

There are also far fewer countries that operate Gripens, and not all of them support Ukraine. The Gripen has also never seen combat, so the jet’s celebrated capabilities are, for now, theoretical.

The F-16 is, on the other hand, a combat-proven aircraft and still a key element of American and allied airpower, even amid the transition to fifth-generation fighters.

“It’s just that Gripens were designed for this fight much better,” Bohnert said. But right now, Ukraine just needs jets, making F-16s a solid choice for the time being.