Ukraine's Gripen purchase sets stage for possible clashes with Russia's Su-35

Ukraine’s recent procurement of dozens of Swedish-made JAS 39 Gripen fighters is expected to bring the lightweight, single-engine jet into direct conflict with Russia’s twin-engine Su-35 Flanker-E, the most prominent Russian aircraft used over Ukraine. While both are classified as fourth-generation-plus fighters, they embody contrasting doctrines: the Gripen is built for cheap, rapid deployment from dispersed sites and relies heavily on networking and sophisticated electronic-warfare suites, whereas the Su-35 prioritises raw speed, range, thrust-vectoring and a heavy weapons load.

In beyond-visual-range combat, the Gripen’s Raven AESA radar and Meteor missile could offset the Su-35’s longer detection range and larger missile carriage. In close-quarters dogfights, the Su-35’s thrust-vectoring gives it a maneuverability edge, but the Gripen’s lower weight and modern short-range missiles may level the field. Ultimately, any future duel would be decided more by integration of sensors, data links and EW capabilities than by pure aerodynamic performance. The analysis underscores how the Gripen’s attributes align with Ukraine’s need to narrow its capability gap against Russia’s air force.