Sweden created a surprise by announcing the sending of its two ASC 890 advanced air surveillance planes to Ukraine, as it was unable to send its Gripen fighters. Indeed, in October 2023, the Scandinavian country had put on the negotiating table, for its accession to NATO, then blocked by Turkey and Hungary,possibility of transferring Gripen fighters to the Ukrainian Air Force.
Once its membership was acquired, Stockholm did not forget its promise made to Kyiv. However, for the sake of consistency of the fighter fleet, it was decided that the Ukrainian air forces would only turn to the F-16, especially since the number of aircraft promised by Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway or even Belgium, is now approaching a hundred copies.
Is this a form of compensation? In any case, the Swedish authorities announced yesterday the upcoming transfer of its two planes'alert Advanced Aircraft ASC 390, commonly classified as Awacs, to Ukraine.
Even if the new GlobalEye, a much more modern device than the ASC 390, must join the Flygvapnet, in a few months, this is the first time that a Western country has agreed to temporarily get rid of a major military capability, at least profit of Ukraine.
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Stockholm commits to providing aid to Ukraine worth 1% of its GDP by 2026
This announcement is part of the new batch of military aid granted by Stockholm to Ukraine, which represents 13,3 billion crowns, or €1,16 billion, itself included in a global promise of aid to Ukraine of 75 billion crowns, €6,5 billion, by 2026. This aid represents 1% of the country's GDP , and 50% of the annual budget granted to the Swedish armies today.
Through this aid, Sweden will achieve total aid exceeding 100 billion Swedish Crowns to Ukraine, or €8,7 billion, with Ukraine becoming the main beneficiary of Swedish international aid over this period.
This economic and military support is accompanied by political support, Stockholm having recently joined the ongoing European dynamic, to authorize that Swedish weapons transferred to Ukraine can be used to strike legitimate targets on Russian territory.
On the other hand, Pål Johnson, the Swedish Prime Minister, has always presented himself as opposed to sending Swedish forces to Ukrainian soil. It remains to be seen whether this opposition will extend to the sending of trainers, as proposed by France, and supported, it seems, by the Baltic countries and Poland.
By transferring two ASC 890s, Sweden temporarily divests itself of major military capabilities to help Ukraine
If Stockholm's determination in its support for Kyiv is indisputable, very few people had envisaged such a structuring decision, for both countries, within the framework of the new batch of military aid to Ukraine. Indeed, Sweden announced that it would transfer its two ASC 390 advanced air surveillance aircraft, to the Ukrainian Air Force.
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