Saab has received an order from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) regarding conceptual studies for future fighter systems, the company announced on 22 March 2024.
The contract, to be enacted from 2024 to 2025, covers conceptual studies of manned and unmanned solutions from a system-of-systems perspective, technology development and demonstrations. In performing the contract Saab will collaborate closely with the FMV, the Swedish armed forces, the Swedish Defence Research Agency, GKN Aerospace and other industry partners, Saab noted in a press release.
“Saab is in a strong position, and having recently developed [the] Gripen E [fighter] and GlobalEye [airborne early warning and control platform] we have the advanced technology and engineering know-how to take the future fighter concept forward,” Lars Tossman, head of Saab’s Aeronautics business area, was quoted as saying in Saab’s press release. “This means we will continue delivering innovative solutions to meet the future operational needs of the Swedish armed forces and other customers,” he added.
The contract will see Saab further developing “collaborations with stakeholders working with emerging and disruptive technologies, which will play an important part in future combat aircraft systems”, the company stated, adding that it “will also explore innovation platforms including the Swedish government’s Defense Innovation Initiative and NATO’s Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic”.
The contract follows on from a preparatory study worth around SEK 250 million (EUR 21.88 million) issued to Saab in mid-2022 that sought to “widen the work on how future combat air capabilities can be developed and realised”.
Regarding how the contract pans out, it remains to be seen whether Saab will indeed embark on developing a new national combat air platform, or whether the results of the work will conclude that Sweden should fold its future fighter efforts into a multi-national programme. Along with Italy, Sweden signed a memorandum of understanding in 2020 to explore collaboration on the UK-led Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme, which ultimately led to the UK, Italy and Japan announcing plans to develop the Tempest sixth-generation fighter under the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).
However, as one of the relatively few nations remaining with the capability to indigenously produce fast-jet combat aircraft, Sweden could well push forward with going it alone. Beyond its service with the Swedish Air Force (SwAF) Saab’s JAS 39 Gripen fighter has been exported to the Czech Republic, Hungary, South Africa and Thailand as a front-line fighter, while in October 2014 Brazil signed a contract to co-produce 36 latest-generation Gripen E/Fs, to which an order for an additional four aircraft was added in April 2022. Saab and Brazil’s Embraer inaugurated the production line for Gripen Es in Brazil on 9 May 2023 and a further Brazilian Gripen E/F order is expected.
The SwAF, meanwhile, has ordered 60 Gripen E/Fs, deliveries of which began in November 2021.
