Ukrainian fighter pilot says Gripen is the only fighter in the world he would sell his soul for

• One Ukrainian pilot called the Gripen the only plane “for which I am willing to sell my soul.”

• Vadym Voroshylov considered the Swedish aircraft to be the ideal option for Ukraine.

• The plane is seen as the West’s best option for Ukraine as it was designed for a fight with Russia.

A Ukrainian fighter pilot says he would sell his soul for just one plane: the Swedish-made Gripen.

Vadym Voroshylov, a well-known Ukrainian MiG-29 pilot with the call sign Karaya, wrote on Instagram this week that the JAS-39 Gripen “is the only fighter jet in the world I would be willing to sell my soul for.”

In his words, this aircraft is “the ideal choice” for Ukraine today and also reliable for the future.

Voroshylov’s position came after Ukraine and Sweden signed a letter of intent to export up to 150 JAS 39 Gripen E fighter aircraft to kyiv. The E variant is the newest and most advanced.

The plane was designed with a fight with Russia in mind, for the type of war Russia is fighting in Ukraine. Many war experts consider it a solid choice for the Ukrainian air force.

The Gripen was designed to operate even if air bases are destroyed and to require less maintenance than many Western aircraft, an advantage in wars like Russia, where airfields are frequent targets and missile and drone attacks can make few places safe.

A pilot’s favorite jet

Voroshylov, who was named a Hero of Ukraine in 2022 and made headlines throughout the war, including for shooting down two missiles and five drones during an attack on the city of Vinnytsia, shared a list of reasons why he is eager to get his hands on the Gripen.

Russia launches regular attacks on Ukrainian bases and airfields with its Shahed drones, Kalibr cruise missiles, Iskander ballistic missiles and other weapons. Voroshylov said the Swedish aircraft was designed for combat in which the adversary targets airfields like this one.

The fighter can operate from damaged airfields, he said. The air intakes are on the sides of the fuselage, making it less likely that the plane will inhale small fragments of ammunition. The intake arrangement, he added, helps reduce radar detection.

The plane can also be refueled with the engine running and turned around for another sortie in a matter of minutes, capabilities that Voroshylov says save lives. “Every second counts,” he said, and the Swedish Gripen was made to quickly return to the air.

The Gripen can also carry MBDA’s Meteor long-range air-to-air missile.

Voroshylov also said that the Gripen can use American and European-made weapons, which is great for Ukraine as it fights with a wide range of weaponry that it has received from its allies.

Additionally, Sweden’s Gripen is one of the cheapest and most profitable modern aircraft to operate. Voroshylov said the Gripen is cheaper to fly per hour than the MiG-29. In the long term, that favors Ukraine.

Ukraine’s future strength

The plane would be a victory for the Ukrainian air force and its industry. Swedish company Saab, maker of the Gripen, said it is prepared to open a final assembly plant for the Gripens in Ukraine and could also move some production of the Gripens to Ukraine if the deal with Ukraine is finalized.

Ukraine’s air force is dominated by older Soviet-designed aircraft, such as the MiG-29, but it also flies some Western aircraft provided to it by partner countries, including the American-made F-16 and The mirage of France. Gripens have long been on kyiv’s wish list, but only recently has there been movement there.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he hopes to receive the first Gripens next year. It is not clear how many would arrive in that first batch or when the others would arrive.

Ukrainian pilots have been training on the aircraft, but there is likely much more work to be done as Ukraine juggles an extremely diverse fleet of aircraft. One benefit of this fleet is that it furthers Ukraine’s efforts to align itself with Western armies.

Voroshylov had long been a supporter of his air force receiving Western aircraft. When he pushed for F-16s in 2023, he said these planes would help make Ukraine a stronger “shield” for the democratic world.

Read the original article on Business Insider