The recommendation
from RUSI reopens debate around Western fighter jets being sent to Ukraine,
with the Swedish aircraft being tipped to provide exceptional operation value,
especially against Russian long-range missile strikes.
By TIM MARTIN on November 08, 2022 at 10:28 AM
DUBLIN – A leading
defense think tank has called on international policymakers to consider
supplying the Ukrainian Air Force with Saab JAS 39 Gripen C/D fighter jets.
Authors from the
UK-based Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) said in a report Monday that
after looking at the Russian air war and requirements for Ukrainian air
defense, the Swedish aircraft was “by far the most suitable candidate” of
Western-manufactured combat jets that could meet operational needs.
Transfer of Gripens
would advance Ukrainian short- to medium-term planning by minimizing the risk
of sustaining Russian long-range missile strikes, according to the report.
The authors also
warned that delivery of the aircraft, alongside SAM launchers, missile
ammunition and self-propelled anti-aircraft guns are all critical to preventing
a new Russian strike campaign, which, if not contested, could lead to a
dramatic shift in the current momentum of the war.
“Conceptually, the
Swedish Air Force has always emphasised low-level air superiority tactics from
dispersed bases, in a similar manner to how the Ukrainian Air Force currently
operates, and so the Gripen was designed with ground support equipment and
maintenance requirements compatible with that approach,” stated the
publication. “The electronic warfare suite on the Gripen C/D is also optimised
specifically for countering Russian fighter and SAM radars.”
Additionally, the
authors cite Gripen’s anti-ship capability and integration of MBDA’s Meteor
beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) and ramjet propulsion design
being “less adversely affected” by counterthreats, compared to weapons with
rocket-powered propulsion. Air launched weapons relying on rocket powered
technology are widely considered to be more exposed to ground based threats
because of their “low and slow” capability profiles.
“Since April, VKS
[Russian Air Force] pilots have been extremely reluctant to aggressively fight
their way into Ukrainian airspace due to the losses taken during early
attempts,” note the RUSI authors. “The threat of Ukrainian SAM and MANPADS
engagements has shaped the behaviour and constrained the effectiveness of
Russian pilots significantly.
“Therefore, even a
few modern Western fighters with long-range missiles able to meet the Russians
on technically equal or even superior terms would likely have a
disproportionate deterrent effect.”
Despite such
analysis reopening debate over whether or not European or US decision makers
should approve Western-made fighter jets being sent to Ukraine, tensions around
the matter, often linked to fears of conflict escalation, permissions for
sorties being flown from NATO territory and training difficulties, continue to
hold up progress.
If the Gripen C/D
variant was to be approved for transfer however, current European operators —
Sweden, Hungary and the Czech Republic — would all be in line to execute
deliveries to Ukraine.
“The [RUSI]
report identified many of the excellent qualities of Gripen that make it a
suitable candidate fighter for a country’s defences,” said a Saab spokesperson.
“Ultimately the export of Gripen, including to Ukraine, is strictly regulated
and needs approvals from the appropriate authorities. So any such decision will
rest with them and further questions as to the feasibility are therefore best
raised with them.”
Past requests
from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to NATO members for Western fighter
jets have been denied even though some US officials, including Air Force Chief
of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, have publicly supported the idea.
In March,
Bulgaria, Poland and Slovakia — the only European countries capable of
supplying aircraft common with Ukrainian MiG-29 and Su-25 fighter fleets — all
ruled out any such transfers, after previously hinting otherwise. At the time,
the Pentagon said the transfer of Polish jets to Ukraine, specifically, through
US bases in Germany was “not tenable.”
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