Saab showcases stealthy supersonic combat drone designed to team with Gripen E

Saab has presented a full-scale mock-up of the A3, a stealthy, supersonic autonomous combat aircraft intended to fly alongside Sweden’s Gripen E fighters. The design features a blended, tailless airframe, cropped wings and an internal weapons bay to minimise radar visibility while carrying armaments. Development is being advanced through two technology demonstrators, A1 and A2; A1 will soon begin flight trials powered by a General Electric F414 engine, the same powerplant used on the Gripen E, while A2 will evaluate additional mission-system and weapons capabilities.

The ACP programme aims to let a Gripen pilot command several uncrewed aircraft, extending sensor reach and strike options without placing pilots in heavily defended zones. Potential roles for the drones include air-to-air engagement, strike missions, electronic warfare and suppression of enemy air defences. Saab envisions a future force where multiple ACP units operate in concert with a single Gripen, creating a human-machine combat team.