This discussion starts with a fundamental point: as long as the F-16 and JAS 39 Gripen are both under consideration, debates about which aircraft is a better fit for Ukraine will likely persist. Objectively, there will still be no definitive answer.
Such debates are generally impractical, primarily because it’s better to compare specific, rather than abstract, options. In this case, the Gripen fighters remain a distant prospect for the Ukrainian Air Force, while the F-16 is already integrated within Ukraine’s defense forces.
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Of course, it’s worth adding that, according to the announced timeline, France's delivery of Mirage 2000 aircraft will happen much faster than that of the F-16s.
Yet, Business Insider recently published an article, picked up by Ukrainian media, claiming the Gripen to be superior for Ukraine’s wartime needs compared to the F-16. The article supports this by referencing RAND Corporation and retired U.S. Army Major General Gordon Davis.
From Defense Express’s perspective, the article’s claim of the Gripen’s alleged superiority doesn’t withstand closer scrutiny.
First, it argues that the JAS 39 Gripen fighters were designed for wartime conditions against russia and supposedly has operational capabilities that the F-16 lacks in such scenarios.
However, the F-16 fighters were also developed during the Cold War and has continuously evolved to counter threats from russian aircraft. Moreover, both aircraft types primarily use the same key air-to-air weapon, the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile family.
The article also claims that the Gripen can operate from short, makeshift runways, unlike the F-16, which allegedly requires extensive runways and concrete shelters. Yet, depicting the JAS 39 Gripen as a purely field-operable jet oversimplifies its needs, as these aircraft still require shelter to protect them from russian missiles and Shaheds.
Based on these points, the following conclusions emerge: we should focus on what is realistically accessible to Ukrainian forces. Both the F-16 and JAS 39 Gripen, along with other Western aircraft types, are essential for Ukraine’s Armed Forces in countering russia’s air advantage.
Additionally, we recall Defense Minister Rustem Umerov’s statement from late September 2024, where he emphasized Ukraine’s interest in acquiring not only the Gripen fighters but also the Eurofighter fighters. This goal highlights the need to bolster Ukraine’s air fleet by obtaining any and all available Western aircraft.
Read more: Ukraine Seeks to Acquire Not Only Gripen but Also Eurofighter Fighters, and This Is Intriguing News
