Sweden Orders New Saab Launcher to Unify Gripen C/D and E Jet Fleets for NATO Readiness
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Saab has secured a SEK 1 billion (about $90 million) production order from Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration for a new launcher system used on Gripen C/D and Gripen E fighters. The move strengthens Sweden’s air combat readiness and ensures NATO interoperability as the Gripen E enters service.
Saab disclosed on November 4, 2025, that Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration has placed a series production order worth about SEK 1 billion for a new launch system that will equip both Gripen C/D and the latest Gripen E. The order, exercised as an option to an earlier agreement, moves the program from development into manufacturing and is intended to keep the Swedish Air Force’s air combat availability high as Gripen E enters service alongside a retained C/D fleet. Saab describes the hardware as the interface between aircraft and stores, handling electrical power, data exchange, and safe separation.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Gripen E with Saab’s new multi-role launcher carrying Meteor/IRIS-T and EW pods, boosting weapons flexibility, faster turnarounds, and interoperability across Sweden’s Gripen fleet (Picture source: Saab).
The launcher decision follows a 2022 contract that covered design and integration work with options for series buys once trials mature. Pulling the option now signals test confidence and a clear plan to standardize armament procedures across Sweden’s mixed Gripen force. It also reinforces Stockholm’s security of supply approach by anchoring a critical component inside Sweden’s defense industrial base at a moment when Europe is tightening readiness and replenishment cycles.
Beyond this single line item, the program sits inside Saab’s broader national role. The company is ramping Gripen E deliveries while sustaining the C/D fleet, expanding airborne early warning production with GlobalEye, and supporting Sweden’s air defense portfolio. For the Air Force, a common launcher across C/D and E compresses logistics, cuts training friction for armorers, and lets squadrons generate sorties faster under a single technical standard. It is a small piece of metal and software that buys a big operational tempo.
Saab’s new unit is a smart, digitally networked launcher that links the aircraft’s stores management system with the missile or pod through a robust data and power connection. In Swedish service, that means compatibility with modern air-to-air weapons such as Meteor for long-range intercepts and IRIS-T for close-in fights, along with countermeasure and electronic warfare pods that underpin survivability. The result is reliable pre-launch handshakes, precise jettison logic, and clear post-launch reporting, which together reduce turn times on the ramp and boost pilot confidence in mixed loadouts.
The timing dovetails with Sweden’s entrance into NATO in March 2024 and the alliance’s push to thicken air policing around the Baltic and High North. Standardizing launchers across both Gripen generations helps Sweden present more ready jets with shared armament procedures, easing multinational operations and munitions sharing concepts. It also creates headroom to integrate evolving weapons across the fleet rather than segmenting capability between legacy and new-build aircraft.
Export relevance should not be overlooked: Brazil is fielding Gripen E under the F-39 program, and common hardware standards for launchers will simplify logistics, training pipelines, and future weapons integration for export users. As Saab chases additional Gripen opportunities, the ability to point to a mature, fleetwide launcher architecture is a quiet but persuasive selling point.
Saab did not publish a delivery schedule, but series production orders of this type typically move quickly once qualification testing closes. The company is expected to phase deliveries to align with Gripen E squadroning while backfitting C/D units during scheduled maintenance, allowing Sweden to raise both fleets toward full mission capability in parallel rather than in sequence. That approach preserves deterrence while modernization accelerates.
Lars Tossman, head of Saab’s Aeronautics business area, framed the award in terms of availability and combat power, noting that the launch system is essential to sustain Gripen and support the Air Force’s capabilities. On paper, this is a SEK 1 billion line, but in the air, it is the bridge that turns Sweden’s investment in airframes and missiles into sorties that count, with an eye toward interoperability, export credibility, and future weapons growth across the Gripen family.
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Saab has secured a SEK 1 billion (about $90 million) production order from Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration for a new launcher system used on Gripen C/D and Gripen E fighters. The move strengthens Sweden’s air combat readiness and ensures NATO interoperability as the Gripen E enters service.
Saab disclosed on November 4, 2025, that Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration has placed a series production order worth about SEK 1 billion for a new launch system that will equip both Gripen C/D and the latest Gripen E. The order, exercised as an option to an earlier agreement, moves the program from development into manufacturing and is intended to keep the Swedish Air Force’s air combat availability high as Gripen E enters service alongside a retained C/D fleet. Saab describes the hardware as the interface between aircraft and stores, handling electrical power, data exchange, and safe separation.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Gripen E with Saab’s new multi-role launcher carrying Meteor/IRIS-T and EW pods, boosting weapons flexibility, faster turnarounds, and interoperability across Sweden’s Gripen fleet (Picture source: Saab).
The launcher decision follows a 2022 contract that covered design and integration work with options for series buys once trials mature. Pulling the option now signals test confidence and a clear plan to standardize armament procedures across Sweden’s mixed Gripen force. It also reinforces Stockholm’s security of supply approach by anchoring a critical component inside Sweden’s defense industrial base at a moment when Europe is tightening readiness and replenishment cycles.
Beyond this single line item, the program sits inside Saab’s broader national role. The company is ramping Gripen E deliveries while sustaining the C/D fleet, expanding airborne early warning production with GlobalEye, and supporting Sweden’s air defense portfolio. For the Air Force, a common launcher across C/D and E compresses logistics, cuts training friction for armorers, and lets squadrons generate sorties faster under a single technical standard. It is a small piece of metal and software that buys a big operational tempo.
Saab’s new unit is a smart, digitally networked launcher that links the aircraft’s stores management system with the missile or pod through a robust data and power connection. In Swedish service, that means compatibility with modern air-to-air weapons such as Meteor for long-range intercepts and IRIS-T for close-in fights, along with countermeasure and electronic warfare pods that underpin survivability. The result is reliable pre-launch handshakes, precise jettison logic, and clear post-launch reporting, which together reduce turn times on the ramp and boost pilot confidence in mixed loadouts.
The timing dovetails with Sweden’s entrance into NATO in March 2024 and the alliance’s push to thicken air policing around the Baltic and High North. Standardizing launchers across both Gripen generations helps Sweden present more ready jets with shared armament procedures, easing multinational operations and munitions sharing concepts. It also creates headroom to integrate evolving weapons across the fleet rather than segmenting capability between legacy and new-build aircraft.
Export relevance should not be overlooked: Brazil is fielding Gripen E under the F-39 program, and common hardware standards for launchers will simplify logistics, training pipelines, and future weapons integration for export users. As Saab chases additional Gripen opportunities, the ability to point to a mature, fleetwide launcher architecture is a quiet but persuasive selling point.
Saab did not publish a delivery schedule, but series production orders of this type typically move quickly once qualification testing closes. The company is expected to phase deliveries to align with Gripen E squadroning while backfitting C/D units during scheduled maintenance, allowing Sweden to raise both fleets toward full mission capability in parallel rather than in sequence. That approach preserves deterrence while modernization accelerates.
Lars Tossman, head of Saab’s Aeronautics business area, framed the award in terms of availability and combat power, noting that the launch system is essential to sustain Gripen and support the Air Force’s capabilities. On paper, this is a SEK 1 billion line, but in the air, it is the bridge that turns Sweden’s investment in airframes and missiles into sorties that count, with an eye toward interoperability, export credibility, and future weapons growth across the Gripen family.
