SAAB News

Air Data News

Saab adds Portuguese supplier Vangest to Gripen E/F production network

Saab has signed an agreement with Portuguese aerospace supplier Vangest to industrialize eight complex components for the Gripen E/F fighter. The deal expands the program’s supplier network and places Vangest in line to manufacture components for the Swedish fighter, though the articles provide no production volumes or delivery schedule.

Air Data News

Ukraine expects first Swedish Gripen C/D fighters in January–February 2027, with 16 donated aircraft due to strengthen air defen

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine expects the first Saab JAS 39 Gripen C/D fighters in January or February 2027. Sweden has donated 16 aircraft, whose arrival is expected to reinforce Ukrainian air defenses, including the ability to intercept Russian attack drones. Kyiv has urged partners to accelerate aircraft deliveries.

ch-aviation

US’s Sterling Airways expands Saab 2000 fleet by 50%

Sterling Airways has increased its Saab 2000 fleet by 50%, according to ch-aviation. The report provides no details on the number or source of the aircraft, or the timing of the fleet increase.

AeroTime

Sweden takes delivery of German-stock Taurus missiles, advancing long-range strike capability for Gripen

Sweden has received Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missiles purchased from German military stocks, a step toward equipping its Saab Gripen fighters with a long-range strike capability. The transfer confirms that the initial phase of the capability’s development relies on existing German weapons rather than a newly described production order.

Bloomberg

Shield AI assembles first X-BAT prototype, targets flight before year-end

Shield AI has completed assembly of its first X-BAT, a single-engine, tail-sitting VTOL autonomous combat aircraft, in Frisco, Texas. The prototype is moving to Kansas for flight testing, with the company aiming for a first flight before year-end; the aircraft is designed for multi-role combat missions.

ch-aviation

Canada grants charter approvals to Germany’s Air Independence and Saab

Germany’s Air Independence and Saab have received Canadian charter approvals, according to Business Jet News. The report provides no further details on the scope of the permissions or the operators’ planned services.

Breaking Defense

High activity

Saab flight-tests in-house AI agent on Gripen E for beyond-visual-range combat

Saab says it has flight-tested an internally developed AI agent aboard the Gripen E, validating its performance in simulated beyond-visual-range combat scenarios. The agents are trained for multiple air-combat tasks and are being developed for crewed and uncrewed aircraft, with Saab targeting possible operational deployment within months.

Breaking Defense

Sweden's Saab launches family of AI agents for future aircraft projects