The Swedish defense company Saab is exploring the possibility of opening a facility in Ukraine for the production of Gripen fighters. Company representatives emphasized that organizing production in wartime is a complex task, but they are willing to consider options for cooperation with the Ukrainian side.
This is reported by Business • Media
“During wartime, this is not easy, but it would be great to establish at least final assembly and testing of the aircraft in Ukraine, and possibly, later on, partial production,” the company stated.
Saab’s Expansion Plans
If an agreement is reached with Ukraine, Saab could significantly increase its production capacity. Currently, the company is actively investing in the expansion of its factory in Brazil to achieve an output of 20-30 Gripen fighters per year. Saab also does not rule out the possibility of expanding production in Canada and other European countries.
One potential source of funding for the Ukrainian project could be the use of frozen Russian assets, which would provide the necessary investments to launch the factory.
Analytical Assessment and Preliminary Agreements
According to analysts, Saab has a competitive advantage over other military aviation manufacturers in its ability to quickly scale up aircraft production. The peak production of Gripen fighters was around 18 units per year, while the company currently produces just over half of that figure.
Earlier, Ukraine and Sweden signed a contract for the supply of up to 150 state-of-the-art Saab JAS 39 Gripen E fighters. This is a long-term agreement, as the production of this modification is just gaining momentum.