The Netherlands’ top defense official has downplayed the prospect of transferring Swedish Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine now, saying such a move would not “make sense” at this time.
Gen. Onno Eichelsheim, Amsterdam’s Chief of Defence and the most senior military advisor to the defense minister, told Breaking Defense that Kyiv is facing a shortage of pilots, which would complicate the integration of additional aircraft like the Gripen.
While he acknowledged the long-term benefits of adding Swedish jets to Ukraine’s military arsenal, he emphasized the need to prioritize the capabilities most urgently required.
“You have to avoid that you have more systems than pilots,” he stated, stressing the importance of maintaining a “balance” within the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Eichelsheim clarified that his statement was not a refusal to send additional jets to Ukraine, but a suggestion to concentrate on improving the existing capabilities of the Ukrainian military.
“Get them ready on these aircraft, and provide them with the weapons, the money, the logistics, the parts that are available around the world to get these aircraft up and running continuously,” he noted.
Settle With F-16s First
Earlier this year, Sweden suspended plans to send Gripen jets to Ukraine, prioritizing the delivery of F-16s instead.
“The donation of the Gripens is not in [our] hands…” Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson said, noting that other members of the international coalition preferred to focus on settling Ukraine’s F-16 needs first before introducing another sophisticated system.
“They have advised us to wait to donate the Gripen until it goes further with the F-16 as well,” he added.
Meanwhile, Eichelsheim claimed that the Ukrainian military has had no issues operating and maintaining the F-16s.
He also noted that Ukrainian pilots have been performing better than expected with the fourth-generation aircraft.
“They learn very fast how to operate the aircraft and how to operate the new weapon systems that they are getting on the aircraft,” he explained.