Sweden receives 1st of 60 Saab Gripen E fighter jets as next-generation fleet enters service
October 20, 2025
The Swedish Air Force has officially taken delivery of its first Saab Gripen E multirole fighter jet. The handover ceremony was held on 20 October at F 7 Skaraborg Wing, the air force’s main Gripen conversion and training base, near Lidköping.
The Swedish Armed Forces described the arrival as “an important milestone in the development of the Swedish defence,” calling it the result of decades of close cooperation between the military, the Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), and Saab.
“Gripen E strengthens our national defence capability to meet future threats together with allies. Continue to make us proud,” said Commander-in-Chief General Michael Claesson.
This first aircraft forms part of a 60-unit order signed in 2013 between FMV and Saab, valued at approximately SEK 47 billion ($4.2 billion). Deliveries will continue through the late 2020s, progressively replacing the ageing JAS 39C/D Gripen fleet that has formed the backbone of Sweden’s fighter force for nearly two decades.
Sweden becomes the first air force in Europe to induct the Gripen E, ahead of its planned entry into full operational service by 2027. Saab’s president and CEO Micael Johansson described the milestone as “a defining moment for Sweden’s defence and for Saab’s long-term role as a European aircraft manufacturer.”
How the Gripen E transforms Sweden’s airpower
While retaining the Gripen family’s compact delta-canard design and multi-mission agility, the Gripen E represents a substantial technological leap from the C/D generation.
According to Colonel Mattias Ottis, Commander of the Skaraborg Air Flotilla, the Gripen E “is a completely new system—built to meet future demands for survivability, range, sensors and collaboration.”
While pilots familiar with the Gripen C/D will recognise its handling and agility, Ottis noted that the E requires a new approach to decision-making in the cockpit due to its advanced sensor fusion and weapons integration.
Key enhancements on the Gripen E include:
- Power and performance: The new General Electric F414-G engine delivers 25 percent more thrust than the previous RM12 powerplant, improving climb rate, acceleration, and high-altitude performance
- Range and endurance: A larger internal fuel capacity extends the combat radius to around 800 nautical miles (1,500 km)—roughly 40 percent more than the earlier variants.
- Advanced avionics: The Raven ES-05 AESA radar and Skyward-G infrared search and track system enable 360-degree situational awareness and target tracking in contested environments.
- Network-centric warfare: The aircraft’s new mission-data computer and open-architecture avionics allow rapid software updates and seamless datalink integration with NATO and partner assets.
- Expanded weapons compatibility: The Gripen E is cleared for the Meteor BVRAAM, IRIS-T, AIM-9X, JDAM, and future long-range stand-off munitions.
- Survivability: A cutting-edge electronic-warfare suite combines digital radar-warning receivers, active jamming, and towed decoys to defeat advanced surface-to-air threats.
- Pilot interface: A wide-area touchscreen display and helmet-mounted sight system offer intuitive control and faster decision-making in complex missions.
Together, these upgrades turn the Gripen E into a modern, multi-domain combat platform capable of air-superiority, precision-strike, and electronic-attack missions—all within a cost envelope significantly below that of fifth-generation fighters.
Sweden plans to induct all 60 Gripen E aircraft by 2030, distributed across frontline wings including F 7 Skaraborg, F 17 Kallinge, and F 21 Luleå. The first operational conversion unit has already begun training pilots and ground crews, while Saab and the FMV continue systems verification and weapons integration.
Initial Operational Capability (IOC) is targeted for late 2026 or early 2027, followed by Full Operational Capability (FOC) once the majority of the fleet is delivered. Unlike previous generational shifts—such as the transition from Viggen to Gripen—the Swedish Air Force will operate both the Gripen C/D and E variants in parallel for several years. The E will gradually assume frontline duties as more aircraft are delivered and new tactics and systems are validated.
The Swedish Air Force emphasised that Gripen E has been built for operations in what it calls a “contested environment”—airspace where freedom of movement can no longer be assumed. Unlike earlier generations that launched from secure bases, the E is designed to disperse, take off from short runways or roads, and operate effectively even when facing electronic interference or hostile surveillance.
The Swedish Air Force also plans to upgrade its ground-based command networks to fully exploit the Gripen E’s network-centric features, allowing real-time data-sharing between fighters, airborne early-warning platforms, and air-defence units.
Gripen E exports: A global opportunity for Saab
With Sweden’s first Gripen E now delivered, Saab’s export ambitions for the next-generation fighter are gaining traction. The company has already secured confirmed orders in Brazil and Thailand, while a third deal with Colombia is in the works. Together, these contracts provide the Gripen E/F programme with global credibility as a cost-effective, high-capability alternative to heavier Western designs.
Brazil became the first international customer for the Gripen E/F under a 2014 contract for 36 aircraft, made up of 28 single-seat E and eight two-seat F variants, locally designated the E or F-39 Gripen. Assembly is taking place at Embraer’s Gavião Peixoto facility, where Brazilian engineers and pilots are being trained under an extensive technology-transfer agreement.
The most recent export breakthrough came in August 2025, when Thailand finalised a deal for four Gripen E/F aircraft—three single-seat Es and one dual-seat F—valued at approximately SEK 5.3 billion (£390 million). Deliveries are set to take place between 2025 and 2030, with options for up to 12 aircraft in total.
Further west, Colombia announced in April 2025 that it had selected the Gripen E/F to replace its ageing fleet of Israeli-built IAI Kfir fighters. The deal, expected to cover 16 to 24 aircraft valued at around €2 billion, remains under negotiation but represents a strategic foothold for Saab in Latin America beyond Brazil.
While these customers provide vital momentum, Saab continues to pursue further opportunities. The company is actively marketing the Gripen E/F to NATO members in Eastern Europe, where the aircraft’s interoperability, short-field performance, and relatively low operating cost are attractive selling points. Peru, Philippines and even Canada have been rumoured to be eyeing the aircraft.
Saab executives say Sweden’s own adoption of the Gripen E serves as proof of maturity, bolstering its export appeal.
Despite this progress, Saab still faces familiar challenges. Establishing local maintenance and parts-support networks remains essential to sustaining new fleets outside Scandinavia, while financing and political alignment play decisive roles in many markets.
Even so, the combination of competitive pricing, advanced sensor technology, and open-architecture software positions the Gripen E/F as a credible alternative in the global fighter arena—especially for air forces seeking fifth-generation capability without fifth-generation costs.
