Sweden has announced over $527 million in new defense spending to accelerate its anti-drone programs and boost the operational readiness of its JAS 39 Gripen fighter fleet, underscoring a national drive to counter emerging aerial threats and strengthen air power resilience.
About $369 million will fund new weapons, sensors and jamming systems to defend against drone threats. Full deployment is now expected by 2028 instead of 2036.
“The government is now taking steps to rapidly operationalize anti-drone capabilities and increase the availability of our combat aircraft,” Defence Minister Pål Jonson said. “This will result in increased safety and security for the Swedish Armed Forces and for Sweden.”
Another $158 million will go toward Gripen system upgrades, including the addition of spare parts, mission gear and road-base support to boost resilience and readiness across dispersed operations.
Saab Contract Extensions
Saab and the Swedish Armed Forces have extended their Gripen C/D and E maintenance agreement, a $422 million deal covering support, repairs and training from 2026 to 2029. “This contract extension means we will continue to ensure a very high availability for Gripen,” said Lars Tossman, head of Saab Aeronautics.
In June, Saab also secured a $307 million contract with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration for additional equipment to support production of Sweden’s Gripen E fighters. The order enables Sweden to maintain its current Gripen C/D fleet while fielding 60 new Gripen E fighters with brand-new components instead of repurposed parts.