Ukraine is approaching concluding firm agreement on Swedish JAS 39 Gripen fighters from Saab, which it plans to purchase 100-150 units. Currently, as Defense Ministry reported, preparatory work for concluding contracts is already actively ongoing. Against this background, this fighter's advantages are often mentioned, among which inevitably about its operation from highways, sometimes without specifying that behind this effortless ease stands entire Bas 90 strategic system.
Instead, another advantage is very often forgotten, which for Ukraine generally may be key. This is Gripen's omnivorous capability regarding weapons. Because Sweden effectively has only one national aviation missile anti-ship RBS-15, all other weapons on this aircraft are foreign.
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Declared weapons arsenal for Gripen E/F includes American, German, British, pan-European, Israeli, Swedish and even North African missiles. For example, Gripen standardly uses not only longest-range Meteor from European MBDA but also much more mass American AIM-120, German IRIS-T known in Ukraine and exotic A-Darter from South Africa.
This is actually not at all trivial capability. Specifically French Rafales use only French missiles. Even instead of 70mm APKWS or FZ275 LGR as counter-drone solution, incompatible 68mm Aculeus LGare integrated for it.
Quite rarely possible to see non-American missiles on American aircraft. Even on F-16, which has been in service almost half century soon and was actively supplied for export. On it over all this time, if not taking as exception Israeli F-16I Sufa, only IRIS-T registered. Although generally U.S. is open to integrating new weapons on its fighters, in practice Meteor integration timeline under F-35 shifted somewhere into 2030s.
Overall Saab is maximally open to possibility of integrating new national weapons under its fighter. For example, for India at one time possibility to install national weapons on Gripen independently was offered. Just specifically this question Delhi and Paris now run into, who are still half step away from mega-contract for 114 Rafales.
For Ukraine, maximum weapons diversity on fighter is important due to own experience, when dependence on one supplier or even one country is threatening for defense capability. Moreover, for Ukraine possibility to integrate own missiles to fighter is unconditionally important option.
National defense industry can develop and produce own short-range air-to-air missiles and has medium-range missile projects, besides own Neptune cruise missile, which should have air version. Also developments for creating own aeroballistic missiles and long-range air-to-air missiles. In other words, Ukraine definitely has what to integrate from own weapons under Gripen wing and fuselage.
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