The Swedish defense company Saab has revealed exciting concepts for a next-generation fighter jet and several unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) during a recent national television broadcast.
Peter Nillson, who leads the company’s Advanced Programs unit, showcased a total of four innovative aircraft designs—one manned and three unmanned—that are intended to complement the current multi-role fighter jet, the Gripen.
Highlighting the integrated ecosystem known as the Saab F Series, Nillson stated, “The same brain, different bodies.” This phrase refers to the avionics systems and flight software that can be adapted for use across all the proposed aircraft by simply modifying their configurations. The Saab F-Series ecosystem is designed to enable seamless operations between manned and unmanned aircraft.
The unmanned combat aircraft, often referred to as “loyal wingmen,” will operate alongside piloted jets, significantly enhancing mission capabilities while minimizing risk to human pilots. Two of the UAVs introduced are specifically aimed at fulfilling this role.
Among the proposed models is an unmanned combat aircraft weighing less than 5 tons, designed to mimic the characteristics of fifth-generation fighters. Additionally, there’s a heavier, supersonic UAV, exceeding 5 tons, which notably lacks vertical stabilizers. Reports indicate that this supersonic UAV will be powered by the General Electric F414 engine, the same engine utilized in the Gripen.
Complementing these advanced UAVs is a cost-effective conventional UAV weighing under 1 ton. Importantly, the Gripen, which remains in production and active service, is also part of this new set of concepts.
Among all the systems unveiled, the next-generation fighter jet concept stands out. Following its exit from the UK’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program, Saab has embarked on developing its own next-generation fighter. While the design configurations and features are still in the conceptual phase, it is noteworthy that the shared design includes vertical stabilizers, a topic of much debate in the context of sixth-generation fighter aircraft.
