Sweden sends Gripen fighter jets to patrol NATO borders for the first time
Date: 2025-03-28 Author: Кирило Загоруйко Categories: WORLD
NATO's newest member, Sweden, is deploying a fighter jet for the first time, which is designed to fight Russia and protect the alliance's borders. According to the country's armed forces, six Jas 39 Gripen fighter jets landed at Malbork Air Base in Poland on Wednesday to take part in a NATO air surveillance mission, Business Insider reports.
The alliance noted that this is the first time that Swedish combat aircraft have participated in NATO's "enhanced air policing mission" from the airspace of another member since Sweden joined in March 2024.
"Sweden, along with its neighbor Finland, broke decades of neutrality and joined NATO, citing Russia's invasion of Ukraine as the reason for its membership bid. This was an unintended consequence of Russian President Vladimir Putin's brutal war, the stated reason for which was to limit NATO's expansion," BI recalled.
The publication noted that these countries were developing their armies given the threats from Russia, so Gripen was one of such projects. In particular, in 2019, then-commander of the Swedish Air Force Mats Helgesson said that Gripen was designed to "kill Sukhoi" (referring to the Russian company's aircraft).
"The Gripen can operate from civilian roads, rather than expensive runways at fixed airfields that could become targets. Russia has targeted precisely such infrastructure during the war. It also requires less maintenance than some other aircraft, such as the American F-16, which is widely represented in the arsenals of many NATO countries," the article added.
At the same time, a military analyst at the RAND Corporation noted that the Gripen's flexibility makes it "much better for a country that borders an aggressor." Therefore, military experts say that the Gripen is the best NATO aircraft for Ukraine to fight Russia.
However, Swedish Defense Minister Poul Johnson said that it would be more difficult for the Ukrainians to accept another fighter, because they have already received American F-16s and French Mirages.
"Despite the praise these aircraft receive, Sweden's Gripens have not yet seen the kind of combat they would have to face in Ukraine. Nor have they seen what they would face in a Russian war against the NATO alliance. But Europe is preparing for such a scenario. As they watch the invasion, much of Europe, especially countries close to Russia such as Poland and Sweden, are preparing for a potential conflict with Russia," the article emphasized.
NATO also said that Swedish fighters would be deployed to Poland from April, along with the Royal Air Force's Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft. The alliance described its "enhanced air policing mission" as a peacetime mission that continued in 2014 after Russia illegally annexed Crimea.
