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Swedish defense leaders push Saab’s Gripen offer for Finland February 17 A Swedish Gripen jet lands at Rovaniemi airport during joint exercises between the Finnish and Swedish air forces over the Arctic Circle on March 25, 2019. (Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images) COLOGNE, Germany Top Swedish defense officials have thrown their weight behind Saab’s bid for the multibillion-dollar HX fighter competition in Finland, arguing the Gripen aircraft would enable unprecedented cooperation between the two countries in thwarting a hypothetical attack by Russia. The Finnish race is one of two big-ticket aircraft competitions in Europe Switzerland being the other where major vendors from both sides of the Atlantic are jockeying for position. Finland has requested final offers by the end of April from Airbus for the Eurofighter; Dassault for the Rafale; Boeing for the Super Hornet; Lockheed Martin for the F-35; and Saab for the Gripen E/F.