Saab To Fly Fighter-sized Uncrewed Aircraft Next Year

Sweden's Saab is preparing to make the first flight of an uncrewed fighter-sized demonstration aircraft in 2027. The project is gathering pace as the NATO member state solidifies a strategy for its future combat aircraft program by 2030 in a process that could see it partner with other nations or decide to go it alone.

“The overall purpose is to develop our future fighter system, but on its way, also develop an unmanned platform [as a] force multiplier,” explained Per Nilsson, Saab’s senior strategic advisor of advanced programs, in a press briefing at the recent Singapore Airshow. Following an “intense research and development phase” encompassing some 150 projects, the upcoming demonstrator will possess “fighter-like characteristics,” he revealed. Saab has yet to confirm  the engine supplier for the aircraft.  

Crucially, the demonstrator is designed to build on what Saab says are the “unique features” of the its Gripen fighter’s split-software core. This separates operational and flight-critical software, allowing the Gripen’s tactical system to be rapidly and constantly updated.

According to Saab, it is the only fighter manufacturer to “split the DNA and the brain,” which Nilsson argued offers an advantage “in that we can easily adopt and share other platforms." He said the company intends to expand this capability as the demonstration program is conducted.

Multiple OEMs are fielding the concepts for collaborative combat aircraft (CCAs), and while Saab believes uncrewed vehicles will be a part of future airpower Nilsson maintained that being first to market is not a decisive factor. Saab sees the highly capable drones operating alongside Sweden’s Gripen E fleet, and Nilsson said that expertise in the area will also serve as “a stepping stone into the future fighter system.” 

Swedish Future Fighter Program Decisions

As the long-term prospects of other European future fighter programs appear increasingly unstable, a key question remains as to whether Sweden will join a multinational consortium or ultimately opt to go it alone. In July 2023, Saab formally revealed the first details of the state-funded Koncept för Framtida Stridsflygplan (KFS) project, which it is to pursue independently from the UK-led Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).

After an initial €400 million ($471 million) research and development phase, in effect since 2024, KFS is currently moving into phase two via a €243 million contract with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration. A proposal will be submitted in 2027 for the government to make a decision no later than 2030. The three options are to pursue the program independently, join an international partnership, or purchase ready-made systems from abroad.

“By participating in this state-funded concept program, we gain a lot of knowledge, and we believe to play a major role in the development of a Swedish future fighter that is either manned or unmanned,” suggested Nilsson.

Alongside ongoing development of the in-service Gripen E fighter, Saab will continue to look at future crewed platforms as well as supersonic and subsonic uncrewed adjuncts: supported by artificial intelligence and what Nilsson defines as “robust low observability.” He defined the latter as the integration of stealth characteristics alongside the ability to “withstand harsh conditions and real-world operations built for dispersed operations.” Saab will also continue to develop its own self-funded rapid prototype and additive manufacturing capabilities.

While the notion of whether Sweden can sustain funding for a sovereign future fighter program is a question for the government, “I think that joining NATO and the type of capabilities that is requested by NATO has also affected what type of capabilities we will be developing in the future,” concluded Nilsson. “Sweden is expected to deliver qualified air power, and it will do so.”