The Swedish Saab Gripen fighter jet, which can perform both enemy air defense suppression and targeted fire strikes, could significantly strengthen the Ukrainian Air Force. This was stated in an interview with Voice of America by a Ukrainian pilot with the call sign Phantom, UNN reports.
Details
As the pilot told the publication, the A-10 attack aircraft is suitable for supporting ground forces from the air, but the current realities in the airspace along and near the combat line, as well as near the occupied territories, will not allow them to perform these tasks, because a very large aviation component is needed for cover, to clear the airspace from enemy firepower
However, he emphasized that Swedish Saab Gripen aircraft could cope with this task.
"Another thing is, for example, the Swedish-made Saab Gripen aircraft. This is a very modern aircraft, it has undergone many stages of modernization, and now the official fleet that the Swedish Air Force has in its inventory can perform both enemy air defense suppression, targeted fire, and what is called in English a standoff weapon, that is, a weapon at a distance that does not allow you to hit your aircraft. And it also has great potential against enemy aircraft, and the ones that Russia currently has at its disposal, the Su-35 and Su-30, the latest generation Gripen can match," Phantom said.
Recall
In December , it became knownthat Sweden was considering the possibility of providing Ukraine with Gripen fighter jets, consultations are underway, and Ukrainian pilots have already tested the aircraft in Sweden.