Ukraine's New Wings: The Gripen Fighter Jet Deal

Sweden and Ukraine have just made a big deal. They plan to send up to 150 Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine. These jets are made by Saab, a Swedish company. The agreement was signed by the leaders of both countries. So, what's the big deal about these Gripen jets? They are fourth-generation, light, and fast. They can do many things, like fight other planes, drop bombs, and gather information. They are also not too expensive compared to newer, fifth-generation jets like the F-35. The Gripen has been around since 1996 and has had several upgrades. The latest version, the Gripen E, was just delivered to the Swedish Air Force. Over 280 of these jets have been made so far. These jets have seen some action. They were used in a conflict between Thailand and Cambodia this year. Before that, they were mostly used for patrolling airspace. They have also been part of NATO missions, like enforcing a no-fly zone in Libya in 2014. Sweden has been making its own fighter jets since World War II. The Gripen was developed in the 1980s. It competes with other well-known jets like the F-35, F-16, Rafale, and Eurofighter. Besides Ukraine, other countries like South Africa, Thailand, Brazil, the Czech Republic, and Hungary have bought Gripen jets. The Gripen E is about 15 meters long and weighs 16. 5 tonnes. It can refuel and rearm quickly, getting back in the air in just 10-20 minutes. It can also operate from rough airstrips, which is a big plus.