By Dominic Chopping
STOCKHOLM--Saab signed a contract to deliver 16 Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine in a deal valued at around $2.5 billion, part of an agreement previously announced by Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The two leaders met in Sweden last year when they signed a major air-defense cooperation agreement that included the potential to export between 100 and 150 Gripen jets to Ukraine.
Saab said late Tuesday that as part of that agreement, it has now signed a 24.6 billion Swedish kronor ($2.54 billion) deal to provide 16 new jets in addition to spare parts, related equipment and technical support, with deliveries scheduled between 2029 and 2030.
The deal was signed in a meeting Tuesday between Zelensky and Swedish defense minister Pal Jonson.
A statement from the Ukraine presidential office said training of Ukrainian pilots and technical personnel was already under way in Sweden.
Discussions over further strengthening Ukraine's combat aviation and air defense, including drone and missile defense, also took place at the meeting, according to the presidential office.
As previously announced, Sweden will also donate a further 16 older Gripens from its current fleet, with first deliveries expected in early 2027.
Saab has now added around $7.4 billion of new orders to its backlog over the last couple of days, after it outlined a 47 billion kronor deal Monday to deliver three submarines to Poland. The contract includes a weapon, training and support package, with final deliveries expected during 2038.
Write to Dominic Chopping at dominic.chopping@wsj.com