Saab to develop Sweden’s first unmanned stealth fighter jet to succeed the Gripen
{loadposition bannertop}
{loadposition sidebarpub}
Saab has received a 2.6 billion SEK (about 238 million USD) contract from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) to advance studies and technology development for Sweden’s next-generation fighter system. The work focuses on a stealth-capable aircraft and wingman drones intended to guide future decisions on a Gripen successor under the national KFS program.
On October 14, 2025, Saab announced a new 2.6 billion SEK contract from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration to continue studies and technology development for a next-generation fighter system through 2027. The work will focus on Sweden’s first stealth fighter jet and a family of wingman drones designed to operate alongside it, supporting long-term plans for a future aircraft to succeed the Gripen in the 2040s. Saab said the effort, conducted with FMV, the Swedish Armed Forces, FOI, and GKN Aerospace, will support decisions on Sweden’s future air combat capability under the national Koncept för Framtida Stridsflyg (KFS) program.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Saab’s work on the Gripen successor is known to include studies of manned and unmanned aircraft, with a focus on stealth, manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T), electronic warfare, and software architectures intended to shorten upgrade cycles. (Picture source: Saab)
Valued at around $238 million, the contract, which covers the 2025–2027 period, extends and expands the original agreement signed in March 2024. It includes studies of manned and unmanned solutions within a system-of-systems framework and also covers technology development and demonstrator construction. Saab confirmed that the project continues the close cooperation between FMV, the Swedish Armed Forces, the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI), GKN Aerospace, and other industrial partners. According to Lars Tossman, Head of Saab Aeronautics, the order marks the next stage in developing solutions for Sweden’s future operational requirements and is part of a long-term concept known as Koncept för Framtida Stridsflyg (KFS). FMV official Carl-Fredrik Edström stated that the extension ensures continuity in technology development and is crucial to testing and verifying capabilities for future air combat decisions.
Work under this phase includes concept and technology development through the third quarter of 2026 and a demonstrator flight campaign through 2027, with the updated agreement valued at approximately 2.676 billion SEK. The Koncept för Framtida Stridsflyg (KFS, which translates to “Concept for Future Combat Aircraft”) program will serve as the foundation for Sweden’s long-term combat aviation roadmap and defines how the country’s air combat capabilities will be sustained after 2040. It originated in 2023 after Sweden withdrew from the UK-led Tempest program, which later merged with Japan’s F-X project to form the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). Stockholm chose to pursue an independent evaluation of its future requirements in response to changing security conditions, NATO membership, and increased defense spending linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
FMV oversees the Combat Aviation Pathway initiative (Vägval Stridsflyg) to determine the best method for maintaining Swedish air combat capability beyond 2040. Saab and its partners are focused on studying low-observability structures, autonomy in combat systems, and advanced electronic warfare capabilities. Approximately 270 Saab employees are engaged across about 150 active research and development projects, and the first flying demonstrator is planned for completion in 2026 within a program budgeted through 2030. The contract also expands industrial cooperation with GKN Aerospace, which is investing 59.5 million EUR in its Trollhättan facility to develop additive manufacturing for future power and propulsion solutions.
Saab’s existing work in artificial intelligence, digital engineering, and software-defined systems is being tested through Project Beyond, a collaboration with the German AI company Helsing. Between May 28 and June 3, 2025, Saab conducted three Gripen E test flights in Swedish civil airspace where the Centaur AI system controlled the aircraft during Beyond Visual Range scenarios against a human-piloted Gripen D. The AI executed maneuvers autonomously and advised on engagement timing while complying with operational limits. Helsing trained Centaur using reinforcement learning, equating to about 50 years of flight experience within hours of simulations and over 500,000 virtual flight hours. This testing demonstrated the ability of Saab’s modular avionics architecture to integrate AI directly into operational aircraft software without impacting flight safety. Peter Nilsson, Head of Advanced Programmes at Saab Aeronautics, previously hinted that such integration validates KFS objectives for autonomy and continuous capability updating.
The current phase also includes preparations for building technology demonstrators to test airframe designs, sensor integration, and data fusion capabilities. As previously reported by Army Recognition, Saab is developing a family of systems consisting of both manned and unmanned aircraft, including low-cost subsonic uncrewed platforms below one ton, supersonic uncrewed platforms above five tons, and a new manned fighter. According to available visuals, the future fighter will retain certain Gripen systems such as engine components, vehicle architecture, and avionics while adopting a stealthier airframe without canards and with internal weapon bays. This approach seeks to balance innovation with risk management by building on existing experience while introducing AI and network-centric operations. The KFS program continues to 2027 under FMV supervision and is scheduled to deliver data to support a procurement decision around 2031 on whether Sweden will pursue a domestic fighter, an international co-development path, or a foreign acquisition. Gripen E and Gripen C/D will remain in service through 2050–2060 to bridge the transition.
Saab’s future air combat research is supported by broader modernization within the Swedish Air Force and FMV’s investment plans. The Swedish government’s 2025–2030 defense strategy sets spending at 2.6 percent of GDP by 2028, allocating 170 billion SEK (14.9 billion EUR) for military defense and 35.7 billion SEK (3.1 billion EUR) for civil defense. Sweden has also contributed 4.2 billion EUR in military aid to Ukraine, driving the need for technological adaptability and supply resilience. The air force operates six fighter squadrons with Gripen E and Gripen C/D aircraft, upgrading older models to the MS20 Block 3 standard and planning for Block 4 enhancements including PS-05/A Mk 4 radar, Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missiles, and improved EW systems. Col. Frederik Süsskind identified these as necessary steps to maintain electromagnetic spectrum dominance and interoperability with NATO. The Gripen E and F variants also feature open architecture for continuous software updates and integration of future AI capabilities.
Sweden’s fighter aircraft development has followed a consistent pattern of national design and industrial cooperation since the Saab 21R in 1947, progressing through the Tunnan, Lansen, Draken, Viggen, and Gripen families. Each generation added technical innovations that enhanced performance, avionics, and multirole flexibility. These programs created a domestic knowledge base that KFS now seeks to extend with digital engineering and AI integration. Past projects such as the Viggen demonstrated the financial challenges of independent development, while international examples like the UK’s FCAS and GCAP illustrate how costs can reach tens of billions of euros. Despite this, Saab argues that its hybrid model of international component sourcing and national system integration remains viable. Peter Nilsson has indicated that 85 percent of Gripen components come from foreign suppliers while maintaining Swedish design authority, a balance that could be applied again to future programs.
Moreover, Saab and FMV are investigating how AI and software-defined combat systems can shorten the development cycle. Under the KFS framework, software updates will be treated as the main driver of capability growth rather than hardware replacement. The Gripen E’s architecture permits rapid iteration and re-certification of new functions within days, contrasting with traditional multi-year upgrade processes. The KFS effort will apply these principles to future platforms, combining AI-supported decision-making, data fusion, and sensor networking for both manned and unmanned roles. Planned demonstrations between 2026 and 2027 will evaluate autonomous air combat operations and coordinated missions involving Loyal Wingman drones. This approach aims to validate core technologies ahead of the Swedish government’s anticipated 2031 decision on the future fighter program path. By that stage, the Gripen E will serve as the test platform for AI, stealth, and electronic warfare elements feeding into the demonstrator and subsequent design phases.
Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
{loadposition bannertop}
{loadposition sidebarpub}
Saab has received a 2.6 billion SEK (about 238 million USD) contract from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) to advance studies and technology development for Sweden’s next-generation fighter system. The work focuses on a stealth-capable aircraft and wingman drones intended to guide future decisions on a Gripen successor under the national KFS program.
On October 14, 2025, Saab announced a new 2.6 billion SEK contract from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration to continue studies and technology development for a next-generation fighter system through 2027. The work will focus on Sweden’s first stealth fighter jet and a family of wingman drones designed to operate alongside it, supporting long-term plans for a future aircraft to succeed the Gripen in the 2040s. Saab said the effort, conducted with FMV, the Swedish Armed Forces, FOI, and GKN Aerospace, will support decisions on Sweden’s future air combat capability under the national Koncept för Framtida Stridsflyg (KFS) program.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Saab’s work on the Gripen successor is known to include studies of manned and unmanned aircraft, with a focus on stealth, manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T), electronic warfare, and software architectures intended to shorten upgrade cycles. (Picture source: Saab)
Valued at around $238 million, the contract, which covers the 2025–2027 period, extends and expands the original agreement signed in March 2024. It includes studies of manned and unmanned solutions within a system-of-systems framework and also covers technology development and demonstrator construction. Saab confirmed that the project continues the close cooperation between FMV, the Swedish Armed Forces, the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI), GKN Aerospace, and other industrial partners. According to Lars Tossman, Head of Saab Aeronautics, the order marks the next stage in developing solutions for Sweden’s future operational requirements and is part of a long-term concept known as Koncept för Framtida Stridsflyg (KFS). FMV official Carl-Fredrik Edström stated that the extension ensures continuity in technology development and is crucial to testing and verifying capabilities for future air combat decisions.
Work under this phase includes concept and technology development through the third quarter of 2026 and a demonstrator flight campaign through 2027, with the updated agreement valued at approximately 2.676 billion SEK. The Koncept för Framtida Stridsflyg (KFS, which translates to “Concept for Future Combat Aircraft”) program will serve as the foundation for Sweden’s long-term combat aviation roadmap and defines how the country’s air combat capabilities will be sustained after 2040. It originated in 2023 after Sweden withdrew from the UK-led Tempest program, which later merged with Japan’s F-X project to form the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). Stockholm chose to pursue an independent evaluation of its future requirements in response to changing security conditions, NATO membership, and increased defense spending linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
FMV oversees the Combat Aviation Pathway initiative (Vägval Stridsflyg) to determine the best method for maintaining Swedish air combat capability beyond 2040. Saab and its partners are focused on studying low-observability structures, autonomy in combat systems, and advanced electronic warfare capabilities. Approximately 270 Saab employees are engaged across about 150 active research and development projects, and the first flying demonstrator is planned for completion in 2026 within a program budgeted through 2030. The contract also expands industrial cooperation with GKN Aerospace, which is investing 59.5 million EUR in its Trollhättan facility to develop additive manufacturing for future power and propulsion solutions.
Saab’s existing work in artificial intelligence, digital engineering, and software-defined systems is being tested through Project Beyond, a collaboration with the German AI company Helsing. Between May 28 and June 3, 2025, Saab conducted three Gripen E test flights in Swedish civil airspace where the Centaur AI system controlled the aircraft during Beyond Visual Range scenarios against a human-piloted Gripen D. The AI executed maneuvers autonomously and advised on engagement timing while complying with operational limits. Helsing trained Centaur using reinforcement learning, equating to about 50 years of flight experience within hours of simulations and over 500,000 virtual flight hours. This testing demonstrated the ability of Saab’s modular avionics architecture to integrate AI directly into operational aircraft software without impacting flight safety. Peter Nilsson, Head of Advanced Programmes at Saab Aeronautics, previously hinted that such integration validates KFS objectives for autonomy and continuous capability updating.
The current phase also includes preparations for building technology demonstrators to test airframe designs, sensor integration, and data fusion capabilities. As previously reported by Army Recognition, Saab is developing a family of systems consisting of both manned and unmanned aircraft, including low-cost subsonic uncrewed platforms below one ton, supersonic uncrewed platforms above five tons, and a new manned fighter. According to available visuals, the future fighter will retain certain Gripen systems such as engine components, vehicle architecture, and avionics while adopting a stealthier airframe without canards and with internal weapon bays. This approach seeks to balance innovation with risk management by building on existing experience while introducing AI and network-centric operations. The KFS program continues to 2027 under FMV supervision and is scheduled to deliver data to support a procurement decision around 2031 on whether Sweden will pursue a domestic fighter, an international co-development path, or a foreign acquisition. Gripen E and Gripen C/D will remain in service through 2050–2060 to bridge the transition.
Saab’s future air combat research is supported by broader modernization within the Swedish Air Force and FMV’s investment plans. The Swedish government’s 2025–2030 defense strategy sets spending at 2.6 percent of GDP by 2028, allocating 170 billion SEK (14.9 billion EUR) for military defense and 35.7 billion SEK (3.1 billion EUR) for civil defense. Sweden has also contributed 4.2 billion EUR in military aid to Ukraine, driving the need for technological adaptability and supply resilience. The air force operates six fighter squadrons with Gripen E and Gripen C/D aircraft, upgrading older models to the MS20 Block 3 standard and planning for Block 4 enhancements including PS-05/A Mk 4 radar, Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missiles, and improved EW systems. Col. Frederik Süsskind identified these as necessary steps to maintain electromagnetic spectrum dominance and interoperability with NATO. The Gripen E and F variants also feature open architecture for continuous software updates and integration of future AI capabilities.
Sweden’s fighter aircraft development has followed a consistent pattern of national design and industrial cooperation since the Saab 21R in 1947, progressing through the Tunnan, Lansen, Draken, Viggen, and Gripen families. Each generation added technical innovations that enhanced performance, avionics, and multirole flexibility. These programs created a domestic knowledge base that KFS now seeks to extend with digital engineering and AI integration. Past projects such as the Viggen demonstrated the financial challenges of independent development, while international examples like the UK’s FCAS and GCAP illustrate how costs can reach tens of billions of euros. Despite this, Saab argues that its hybrid model of international component sourcing and national system integration remains viable. Peter Nilsson has indicated that 85 percent of Gripen components come from foreign suppliers while maintaining Swedish design authority, a balance that could be applied again to future programs.
Moreover, Saab and FMV are investigating how AI and software-defined combat systems can shorten the development cycle. Under the KFS framework, software updates will be treated as the main driver of capability growth rather than hardware replacement. The Gripen E’s architecture permits rapid iteration and re-certification of new functions within days, contrasting with traditional multi-year upgrade processes. The KFS effort will apply these principles to future platforms, combining AI-supported decision-making, data fusion, and sensor networking for both manned and unmanned roles. Planned demonstrations between 2026 and 2027 will evaluate autonomous air combat operations and coordinated missions involving Loyal Wingman drones. This approach aims to validate core technologies ahead of the Swedish government’s anticipated 2031 decision on the future fighter program path. By that stage, the Gripen E will serve as the test platform for AI, stealth, and electronic warfare elements feeding into the demonstrator and subsequent design phases.
Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
