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.