Saab flies AI-controlled Gripen E in real-world BVR combat flight trials
Saab has completed a series of flight tests integrating artificial intelligence into its Gripen E fighter jet, the company announced on June 11, 2025.
Conducted in partnership with the German-based defense AI firm Helsing, the flights over the Baltic Sea saw the AI agent, named Centaur, take autonomous control of the aircraft during simulated Beyond Visual Range (BVR) combat scenarios.
The first flight took place on May 28, 2025, followed by two additional sorties, including an engagement on June 3, 2025, against a manned Gripen D. The trials were flown over the Baltic Sea, with a human safety pilot onboard the AI-equipped Gripen.
According to both companies, Centaur was given command of the mission systems once engaged by the pilot, making real-time decisions based on sensor input. It carried out threat tracking, planning and maneuvering autonomously, including cueing weapon use in BVR conditions. While the AI agent was in control, the supervising pilot retained the ability to override commands if necessary.
The tests were designed to evaluate Centaur’s performance in dynamic and degraded conditions. One flight included scenarios without command-and-control data, in order to assess how the system would handle denied or disrupted communications.
The tests are part of Project Beyond, a Swedish state-funded research effort exploring how AI can be integrated into future combat aircraft.
Real-world testing without experimental platforms
(Credit: Saab)Unlike many AI flight test programs, Saab’s trials did not rely on an experimental aircraft or a dedicated testbed. Instead, the AI software was embedded directly into the operational systems of the Gripen E.
“This is an important milestone for us, showing that AI integration doesn’t need to wait for future airframes or labs,” said Peter Nilsson, Head of Advanced Programs at Saab. “We’re focused on accelerating capability development through software.”
Saab and Helsing emphasized the speed of development: the integration of Centaur into the Gripen E reportedly took less than six months, from scenario design and training to flight. They emphasized the modular and reprogrammable architecture of the Gripen E as a key enabler of this approach.
“Trained extensively in Helsing’s RL factory, Centaur captures decades of virtual air combat experience in a matter of hours, creating operational and scalable AI systems, as demonstrated by its integration into the Saab Gripen E,” Antoine Bordes, Vice President of Artificial Intelligence at Helsing, commented. “Centaur delivers cognitive capabilities worthy of those of seasoned pilots to operate weapons aircraft during complex missions and will provide essential support to human pilots in high-intensity conflicts.”
Saab and Helsing say they will now analyze the data collected from the initial flights and continue training the AI agent, with additional tests planned for later in 2025.
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Funded under Sweden’s Future Combat Aviation Concept effort
Project Beyond is funded by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) as part of its Future Combat Aviation Concept study (Koncept för Framtida Stridsflyg, KFS), which supports exploratory work for Sweden’s future air combat capabilities. The project is focused on developing AI agents that are both operationally useful and safe to deploy in complex tactical environments.
Saab’s work with Helsing is part of a wider trend across air forces to explore how artificial intelligence can support or even take over key decision-making tasks in aerial combat.
In the United States, the Air Force Test Pilot School and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have been running the Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program, using the X-62A VISTA test aircraft to trial AI-controlled maneuvers. Since late 2022, the program has completed dozens of flights, including AI-versus-human dogfights, with more than 100,000 lines of flight-critical software tested across 21 sorties at Edwards Air Force Base.
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Meanwhile, in France, Thales has begun integrating AI capabilities into its Talios targeting pod, used on Dassault’s Rafale fighter jets. A major upgrade unveiled in 2024 enables the pod to analyze imagery in real time using onboard processing, significantly improving detection speed while reducing pilot workload. This AI-powered enhancement is expected to be fielded with the Rafale F4.3 standard from 2026.
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As air forces and manufacturers advance with manned-unmanned teaming, autonomous systems, and advanced sensor fusion, artificial intelligence is becoming a crucial component of future air combat. It is also central to the “system of systems” approach that defines what sixth-generation fighter jets are expected to be. The post Saab flies AI-controlled Gripen E in real-world BVR combat flight trials appeared first on AeroTime.
Saab has completed a series of flight tests integrating artificial intelligence into its Gripen E fighter jet, the…
The post Saab flies AI-controlled Gripen E in real-world BVR combat flight trials appeared first on AeroTime.