The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced an agreement with Swedish company Saab on the joint production of an air defense system in Ukraine as part of the Build in Ukraine initiative. The aim of this program is to develop Ukraine's own defense industry.
The agreement was likely concluded during the recent visit of the President of Ukraine to Sweden. No deadlines or details regarding future production have been announced yet. The agreement will likely serve as the foundation for building this production facility.
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While it is still unclear what the new Ukrainian production facility will produce, Saab's arsenal offers some clues, including the RBS 70 NG MANPADS, already used in Ukraine, and the MSHORAD mobile air defense system, which employs the same missiles.
The new Nimbrix anti-drone missile is also notable, ideally suited to counter Shahed-type UAVs in Ukraine. In addition, Saab has introduced a new Loke system, developed in record time and put into service within just four months.
In addition, Saab offers radars, a crucial component of air defense systems, which could also be produced in Ukraine. These include the Giraffe 1X, Giraffe 4A, and Giraffe AMB models.
The Ukrainian president's visit to Sweden also brought attention to a major deal: the purchase of 100–150 JAS-39E/F Gripen fighter jets from Saab.
Given the workload of Saab's production lines with domestic and export orders, the company has obtained a license to manufacture or assemble these aircraft in Ukraine. Launching fighter jet production in another country is a complex and lengthy process, as shown by Brazil's experience, which clearly illustrates the challenges Ukraine will face.
It is clear that air defense system production in Ukraine will begin earlier than Gripen manufacturing, as these systems are technologically simpler. Therefore, it is likely that Saab's production lines in Ukraine will simplify and facilitate the launch of JAS-39 production.
In theory, both production lines could operate in the same plant or side by side. However, this process still takes more than a year, and this applies to the expansion of production in Ukraine of both the JAS-39 and the air defense systems.
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