Saab Displays Uncrewed Combat Aircraft

Saab has displayed a model of an uncrewed combat aircraft at the Jubilee Air Show at Malmen Air Base in Linköping.

The concept, designated A3-001, is intended to illustrate a combat air system in which crewed and uncrewed aircraft operate together. Saab says the platform could complement Gripen and crewed combat aircraft.

The company says the concept is intended for missions including electronic warfare, suppression of enemy air defences and precision strikes in contested environments. It is designed with low observability and a high degree of autonomy, according to Saab.

Peter Nilsson, head of business unit Advanced Programs at Saab, said: “We are currently in an intensive development phase where, together with Sweden, we are exploring technologies that will lay the foundation for the next generation of combat air systems. As part of this work, we intend to fly uncrewed demonstrators with fighter-like characteristics before 2030 as we support Sweden in considering their future options,” says Peter Nilsson, head of business unit Advanced Programs at Saab. “This separate Saab A3 system is our own concept for what could follow in the mid-2030s should Sweden decide to build on the work we are currently doing. Saab is well positioned to develop the next generation of combat air systems building on Gripen and GlobalEye, combined with our long experience in advanced aerospace systems.”

The A3-001 model represents an uncrewed component in a system-of-systems approach to air warfare. Saab has not said that Sweden has decided to develop or acquire the A3 system.

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