Saab is already looking at ways of significantly increasing production of its Gripen E fighter to satisfy a major opportunity to equip the Ukrainian air force from later this decade, chief executive Micael Johansson says.

Kyiv’s interest in fielding potentially 100-150 Gripens was outlined during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson to Saab’s Linkoping site on 22 October.

“It was an important statement which we had been waiting for,” Johansson said while discussing the topic during Saab’s third-quarter results call on 24 October.

Writing on X after this visit, Zelensky indicated that Kyiv could receive its first Gripens in 2026. Any such assets would presumably be C/D-model examples to be transferred from the current inventory of the Swedish air force, which only fielded its first pair of operational Gripen Es on 20 October.

“If Ukraine pushed the button [on a Gripen E purchase], we would deliver the first one in three years’ time,” Johansson states.

While emphasising that a contract has yet to be placed, he says: “If the politicians get the support for financing Ukraine for going to contract on the Gripen E, expanding production will be important.”

Earlier investments made by Saab will enable the Swedish airframer to deliver 20-30 of the aircraft per year, and Johansson says: “we are looking at how quickly can we take another step”.

In addition to upping capacity at its Linkoping site, such an activity – which he estimates would take one or two years to implement – would also see output increase at its existing joint production facility established with local partner Embraer in Brazil.

Additionally, Saab’s CEO says it is “initiating as we speak other partnership discussions in countries that would have an interest in the Gripen. It would mean that we would need another [production] hub,” he adds.

Welcoming the letter of intent signed between Stockholm and Kyiv earlier this week, he notes: “The message from the politicians [is that] we want to help Ukraine by creating an air force with Gripen as the prime fighter.

“We will start working this now and look at what the expectations are from Ukraine when it comes to schedule, delivery rate and when the first aircraft needs to arrive. And then will offer them something.

“I would like to see a more solidified financing solution in place before we start adding a huge investment… but we can add a little bit more [investment] at risk, to make sure that we keep the lead times,” Johansson says.

Meanwhile, Saab has announced that its current chief innovation officer Marcus Wandt is to move to the newly created role of head of group strategy and technology.

Wandt – whose career experience has also included flying Gripens for the Swedish air force, working as Saab’s chief test pilot, and being an astronaut for the European Space Agency – will oversee activities including “mergers and acquisitions, partnerships and ventures”.