On April 6, 2025, Micael Johansson, the CEO of Swedish aerospace giant Saab, confirmed that the company is engaged in talks with Portugal to potentially supply JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets.
This event comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions in Europe and a broader debate about the continent’s reliance on American-made military hardware. As Portugal weighs its options, the Gripen emerges as a cost-effective and versatile alternative to pricier platforms like the Lockheed Martin F-35, raising questions about NATO’s future procurement trends and the strategic implications for transatlantic defense cooperation.
SAAB is, reportedly, in talks with Canada and Portugal over potential Gripen procurement, after both countries expressed unease in recent weeks with their programs to acquire US-produced F-35s.
Compared to its competitors, the Gripen E/F offers distinct advantages for a nation like Portugal. The Lockheed Martin F-35A, while unmatched in stealth and sensor fusion, comes with a per-unit cost exceeding $80 million and annual maintenance expenses that can strain smaller defense budgets.
Incidentally a 2023 U.S. Government Accountability Office report noted that only 55 percent of U.S. F-35s were mission-capable at any given time, highlighting the platform’s logistical complexity.
The Gripen, by contrast, strikes a balance between advanced technology and affordability, with a flyaway cost of around $40 million per unit and a design that reduces maintenance downtime. Its ability to conduct air-to-air, air-to-ground, and reconnaissance missions makes it a changing-role platform well-suited to Portugal’s multifaceted defense requirements.
Could this deal mark the beginning of a broader European pivot away from U.S. systems, or will it remain an outlier in a market still dominated by powerful American companies? Only time will tell, but the conversation itself underscores a critical juncture in the evolution of global air power.
I would put my money on the Saab Gripen.
