While the first group of Ukrainian pilots is waiting for the start of training on multipurpose F-16 fighters, a group of pilots from Ukraine has already started "familiarization training" on Swedish JAS 39 Gripen aircraft, and today the issue of supplying these fighters to Ukraine remains open.
The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi gave this information today, August 19, at a press conference after a meeting with the head of the Swedish government, Ulf Kristersson, the European Pravda reports.
Read more: JAS 39 Gripen or Su-27: Which Fighter is Better Depends on Very Specific Conditions
"Test trials of the Gripen with the participation of our pilots have already begun," Zelenskyi said. According to him, he discussed in detail with the head of the Swedish government, Ulf Kristersson, the issue of the transfer of Gripen aircraft to Ukraine.
It will be recalled that at the end of May of this year, the head of the Swedish Defense Department, Paul Jonson, announced that a small number of Ukrainian pilots would undergo training on Swedish fighter jets, and then it was not only about exercises on simulators, but also about flights on the JAS 39 Gripen.
Such permission was given in response to the request of the Defense Minister of Ukraine, Oleksiy Reznikov.
At the same time, on June 16, on the website of the Swedish government, in the message about the next package of defense aid, it was mentioned about the allocation of funds for "familiarization training of Ukrainian pilots and related aviation personnel on JAS 39".
"The premise is that the Ukrainian armed forces have expressed a request for the possibility of an operational evaluation of the JAS 39, as one of the most urgent measures is to strengthen the Ukrainian air defense with modern combat aircraft," the message read.
Here it is also worth mentioning that in May of this year, when the Swedish Defense Minister first announced the decision on the "test training" of Ukrainian pilots on the Gripen, he also noted that the Swedes do not have "extra" Gripens to hand over to Ukraine. Whether this position has changed today is still unknown.
As Defense Express reported, Ukraine and Sweden were Enhancing Cooperation on the CV90 Platform.
Read more: Gripen for Ukraine: Sweden Reveals How Many "Spare" Aircraft It Has
