Ukraine may get more than Gripen jets — Europe's top air-to-air missile is also on the table

• Ukraine and Sweden have discussed the possibility of Stockholm sending Meteor missiles to Kyiv.
• The Meteor is considered a top European air-to-air missile, and it can be carried and fired by Gripen fighter jets.
• It would offer Ukraine a powerful new weapon to strike Russian aircraft from a distance.

A future Ukrainian fleet of Gripen fighter jets could be armed with Europe's best air-to-air missile, giving Kyiv a powerful new weapon to strike Russian aircraft from a distance.

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's defense minister, and his Swedish counterpart discussed the possibility of Stockholm sending JAS 39 Gripen jets and Meteor missiles to Kyiv in a call on Sunday.

These long-range air-to-air missiles "are key tools for countering aircraft carriers of guided aerial bombs," the Ukrainian defense ministry said in a readout of the call. The Russian bombs are problematic for Kyiv because they can be launched from standoff ranges and are very difficult to intercept.

The Meteor is a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile developed by the European multinational defense corporation MBDA and is widely considered the best such weapon made on the continent.

The 12-foot-long Meteor weighs more than 400 pounds and is fired from a number of fighter jets, including the Swedish Gripen, the French Rafale, and the European Eurofighter Typhoon. It can travel more than 75 miles and exceed Mach 4 (3,000 miles per hour).

Guided by an active radar seeker, the Meteor uses an air-breathing jet engine to stay fast all the way to the intercept, giving it what MBDA says is the largest "no-escape zone" of any air-to-air missile. Unlike many long-range missiles that lose speed late in flight, Meteor retains its energy, making it far harder for a target aircraft to evade.

Sweden, one of only a handful of countries that has armed its fighter jets with the Meteor, was the first to put the missile into service in 2016.

The discussions on the Meteor come more than three months after Ukraine and Sweden signed a letter of intent to export up to 150 Gripen fighter jets to Kyiv.

The deal is not yet finalized. However, the potential arms acquisition would significantly help modernize Ukraine's air force, which mostly consists of aging Soviet-era fighters, as well as a small batch of American F-16s and French Mirage 2000s.

The Gripen, manufactured by Swedish aerospace and defense giant Saab, is considered by airpower experts to be the ideal Western fighter jet for Ukraine because it is designed to operate from austere airstrips and requires minimal maintenance, better supporting dispersed operations than some other airframes.

While no decision appears to have been made regarding the Meteor missile, recent discussions between Fedorov and his counterpart, Pål Jonson, suggest the transfer could be included in future weapons packages.

Ukraine's defense ministry said in the call readout on Sunday that Sweden is preparing a "large-scale" aid package for Ukraine that is set to include air defense systems, radars, electronic warfare systems, and drones.

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