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.”
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