Swedish aerospace and defense company Saab unveiled a new uncrewed combat air system concept on August 22, 2026.
The new aircraft, which is called A3-001, was publicly presented at the Jubilee Air Show, which took place at the Malmen Air Base near Linköping, Sweden, to mark the 100th anniversary of the Swedish Air Force.
Rather than replacing manned fighters, such as Saab’s own Gripen E, the new platform has been designed to operate alongside them, particularly in high-risk, contested environments.
A3-001 will be able to conduct a whole range of missions, from electronic warfare to suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD) and precision strikes. It will have low observability and be capable of operating with a high degree of autonomy.
It is worth remarking that, while Saab showcased a full-scale mockup of the A3-001 aircraft, this concept has some way ahead before becoming a reality.
In fact, in the press release announcing the new concept, Peter Nilsson, head of business unit Advanced Programs at Saab, explained that A3-001 is but Saab’s vision for the sort of systems that could be built from mid-2030s onwards, adding to existing platforms such as Saab’s Gripen multi-role fighter and GlobalEye early warning and control system (the latter being based on a Saab Erieye long range radar, plus other sensors, setup on top of a Bombardier Global 6000/6500 aircraft).
“We are currently in an intensive development phase where, together with Sweden, we are exploring technologies that will lay the foundation for the next generation of combat air systems. As part of this work, we intend to fly uncrewed demonstrators with fighter-like characteristics before 2030 as we support Sweden in considering their future options,” the Saab executive said.