Saab Unveils A3-001 Collaborative Combat Aircraft Concept
Saab plans to fly the first A3-001 demonstrator within 18 months, with three prototypes planned as the design evolves.
Swedish defense company Saab unveiled on Aug. 21, 2026 a full-scale model of its next-generation unmanned fighter aircraft, called the A3-001. The unveiling comes ahead of the Jubilee Air Show on Aug. 22 and 23 at Malmen Air Base in Linköping, the culmination of the Swedish Air Force’s celebrations for its 100th anniversary.
The aircraft is meant as a multi-role collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) which will primarily operate alongside the JAS39 Gripen E. Although the displayed model is tailless, Saab said it will also test prototypes both with and without a tail depending upon what the engineers’ encounter, the company’s Head of Advanced Programs Peter “Nizze” Nilsson told journalists.
According to Corren, one of the news portals that attended the event, Nilsson explained Saab will first build a demonstrator designated as A1, which will be used to inform the development of the subsequent A2 and A3. The model that was displayed represents the A3 configuration, which will be without a vertical stabilizer.
In coordination with the Swedish Air Force (Flygvapnet) and the Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), Saab is targeting a first flight in “a year and a half.” This would translate to a first flight happening by the end of 2027 or early 2028.
Interestingly, Saab in 2024 had presented a series of potential new-generation aircraft, including a crewed fighter as well as uncrewed CCAs/UCAVs, all of them working alongside the Gripen E. The concepts were aired on Sweden’s SVT Channel.
The newly unveiled A3-001 closely matches the unmanned fighter concept shown in Saab’s 2024 presentation, suggesting that the earlier concept has now evolved and the development phase is in progress.
Saab A3-001
Saab said that the A3-001 is designed for multi-domain operations and cooperation with manned aircraft across the air, land, maritime, space, and cyber domains. A screengrab of a promotional brochure lays out a roadmap for a first flight by 2031 and an Initial Operational Capability (IOC) by 2035.
The full-scale model of the Saab A3-001 Collaborative Combat Aircraft. | Source: Saab
The A3-001 features a blended wing-body configuration with a compound-delta planform and outward-swept trailing edges, and a prominent chine along the forward fuselage. The aircraft is single-engined, with the exhaust enclosed by a serrated shroud and lacks a conventional protruding nozzle, a configuration that may help reduce the aircraft’s infrared signature.
Welp, I guess it’s out there. Meet the A1, Saab’s High-Level ACP. I can’t fully say much on it for obvious reasons, gotta wait a bit longer, but I can say it is a pretty girl. The A1 is the first of what will be Saabs ACP prototypes, with her sister A2 to follow. pic.twitter.com/EJ4lLZ0M1J
— NOAH (@NoahGairn) August 21, 2026
Nilsson did say the A3 design is centered around low-observability and supersonic speeds. This brings us to the engine, which has not yet been selected as the aircraft is still on the design board.
Nilsson explained Saab could potentially use the same engine as the Gripen E. The fighter is powered by GKN Aerospace’s RM16, the Swedish version of the General Electric F414-GE-39E turbofan.
The full-scale model of the Saab A3-001 Collaborative Combat Aircraft following the unveiling in Linköping. | Source: Saab
The goal of the A3-001 drone is to put the pilot out of harm’s way during high-risk missions, with the unmanned aircraft flying ahead of the crewed fighter to perform sensing and other missions without exposing the pilot. In its statement, the company said the aircraft would conduct electronic warfare, suppression of enemy air defences, and precision strike operations in highly contested environments.
Speaking about the A3-001’s mission set, Nilsson said:
“We have just started delivering Gripen E. But unmanned aircraft can complement Gripen or any other combat aircraft. We can send the unmanned aircraft into tougher environments without risking Gripen E and the pilot. It can be used in different roles. It can be hunting, which requires high speed. But if you are going to carry out attack missions, it can be a little simpler and it should also be capable of electronic warfare. It should have sensors that are fully integrated with the Gripen and get closer to the target, send data back to the Gripen that drops bombs or fires missiles.”
Nilsson added that the work on the first prototype is already underway, reflecting the highly ambitious 18-month target to a first flight. The unmanned aircraft is expected to be “considerably cheaper than the Gripen,” pointing toward an emphasis on affordability.
“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,” said Nilsson. “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.”
Saab’s Head of Advanced Programs Peter “Nizze” Nilsson in front of the A3-001. | Source: Saab
2024 CCA and next-gen fighter concept
In the 2024 segment on SVT Channel, Saab’s concept video presented a broad vision for what it described as an “ecosystem” of future collaborative crewed and uncrewed aircraft. Titled “Saab F-Series,” the aircraft in the ecosystem featured the “same brain in different bodies,” according to the company.
Saabs Peter Nilsson, head of Advanced Programs showing some future concepts for Swedish TV.
Perhaps next step, a loyal wingman to #Gripen E. And an overall vision of multiple air system components sharing DNA. #FCAS #aerospace
Screen dumps & source: https://t.co/xOhBIHwxWK pic.twitter.com/p7QvxXmXgQ
— Gripen News (@GripenNews) December 16, 2024
Among the assets included were a Manned Future Fighter,; a subsonic unmanned jet weighing less than five tons, the current Gripen E, a supersonic uncrewed five ton-plus fighter strikingly similar to the A3-001, and a low-cost subsonic drone with a weight of under one ton.
The manned fighter in the F-Series appears to be Saab’s proposed successor to the Gripen. The aircraft features a blended wing-body design, a double delta-wing with cropped edges and outward canted vertical stabilizers.
The subsonic unmanned fighter concept featured outward-canted vertical stabilizers and forward-swept engine intakes. This chisel-shaped intake is also seen on the A3-001.