Saab Unveils A1, A2, and A3 Autonomous Collaborative Platforms as Future Loyal Wingmen

MALMEN AIR BASE — Saab has announced the development of three unmanned aircraft prototypes—designated A1, A2, and A3—as foundational steps toward a future loyal wingman collaborative combat system. The revelation was made during a Swedish Air Force centennial air show over the weekend.

While state funding for the ultimate A3 variant remains undecided, Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson has expressed strong approval of Saab’s strategic approach to autonomous collaborative platforms.

“Integrating a loyal unmanned wingman into the Gripen ecosystem represents a logical evolution, enabling deep-penetration missions in tandem with the manned mother platform,” Jonson remarked in an interview with Breaking Defense on the sidelines of the event in Linköping.

The A1 is slated to serve as a supersonic demonstrator, utilizing an AI-driven GE F414 engine—the same American powerplant featured in the Gripen E/F. Meanwhile, the A2 variant will incorporate an internal weapons bay. Saab aims to fly both prototypes within four years, with the first flight anticipated within the next 15 months.

The A3, envisioned as the potential commercial flagship of the trio, could enter operational service within a decade pending government approval. A full-scale mockup of the A3 was showcased outside Saab’s hangar at the air show. Although comparable to the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) initiative, Saab prefers the term “Autonomous Collaborative Platform” (ACP) to classify its developmental systems.

Brig. Gen. Niclas Magnusson, Sweden’s deputy air chief, outlined a future force structure characterized by a hybrid mix of both manned and unmanned aerial systems.

“We absolutely need both, and we need them operating in concert,” Magnusson stated. “The future lies in mixed squadrons comprising both manned and unmanned assets, though this transition will take several years.”

According to Saab, the lifecycle cost of a single A3 platform is projected to be roughly one-third that of a Gripen E, with initial acquisition costs capped at approximately half the price of the Swedish fighter.

In 2024, the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) allocated contracts to both Saab (based in Linköping) and GKN Aerospace (in Trollhättan) under the “Combat Aircraft Path Selection” (Vägval stridsflyg) program. This initiative encompasses technological studies, development, and demonstrator preparations to guide decisions regarding Sweden’s post-2040 fighter capability. Defense Minister Jonson noted that the Swedish parliament, the Riksdag, is anticipated to make a definitive ruling between 2028 and 2030.

“Our work on this is ongoing,” Jonson highlighted, pointing to an upcoming budget proposal from the Swedish Armed Forces and FMV due next March, a state inquiry into defense and industrial policy, and parliamentary reference group feedback slated for September 2027. “This is highly intensive work,” he added.

Sweden’s formal accession to NATO has significantly bolstered Saab’s market position and strategic opportunities. The defense giant currently boasts an order backlog totaling 318 billion kronor (approximately $33.6 billion). This massive portfolio includes three A26 submarines for Poland, 16 Gripen E fighter jets destined for Ukraine, up to ten GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft selected by Canada and NATO, and advanced combat equipment for Germany’s new frigates.

“I highly doubt NATO would have chosen the GlobalEye system had Sweden not joined the alliance. The same applies to several other major deals; I don’t believe Poland would have selected our A26 submarines otherwise,” Saab CEO Micael Johansson remarked during a press briefing Saturday.

Furthermore, Saab secured an order last month for two additional GlobalEye aircraft from an undisclosed Middle Eastern nation, described by the company as “a new country.” Valued at 10.1 billion kronor (around $1 billion), deliveries are scheduled to commence in 2030.

The air show, celebrating the centennial of the Swedish Air Force, underscored the profound shifts brought about by NATO membership. Just a few years prior, the sight of American F-35s parked alongside Swedish Gripens on a domestic military tarmac would have seemed nearly unimaginable to many citizens.

Nevertheless, with nearly two and a half years of alliance membership under its belt, Saab emphasizes that the Gripen has actually maintained full NATO interoperability for over two decades, long predating Sweden’s official entry.

“In 2002, the Gripen C was introduced—fully NATO compliant and interoperable—more than 20 years before Sweden officially joined the alliance,” Johan Segertoft, head of the Gripen business unit, told reporters ahead of the air show. “Thus, the Swedish Air Force has operated in unison with NATO forces for far longer than we have formally been members of the alliance.”

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