Skip to content
Welcome, thoughtbot's Giant Robots listeners!Start here
Saab
AI-generated illustration
OrganisationSE

Saab

Swedish defence company; major European C-UAS contractor and radar manufacturer.

On 2 April, Sweden awarded Saab a 2.6bn Swedish kronor counter-drone contract, with deliveries from 2027, extending its role in mobile air-surveillance and air-defence equipment.

Last refreshed: 1 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Key Question

Why is Sweden sending Ukraine 16 Gripen E fighters through a 24.6bn Swedish kronor Saab contract?

Timeline for Saab

View full timeline →
Follow Drones: Industry & Defence →

Background

Saab is a Swedish defence and aerospace group headquartered in Linköping. Founded in 1937 as Svenska Aeroplan AB, it supplies systems across air, land, SEA and cyber domains and is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm as Saab B. Its established product families include Gripen combat aircraft, GlobalEye surveillance aircraft, Carl-Gustaf recoilless rifles and Giraffe mobile radars.

The company matters because it combines sensors, weapons and aircraft for national and allied procurement. Sweden's 2 April GUTE II award tied its Giraffe 1X radar, Trackfire weapon stations and electronic-warfare effectors to a mobile counter-drone system. On 30 June, Sweden and Ukraine signed for 16 Gripen E aircraft, showing that Saab's aircraft business also remains part of Europe's rearmament.

Key Issues
Counter drone defence

Saab expands counter drone role

On 2 April, Sweden awarded Saab the GUTE II counter-drone contract, worth 2.6bn Swedish kronor. The mobile system combines Giraffe 1X radar, Trackfire remote weapon stations and electronic-warfare effectors, with deliveries due from 2027.

For Saab, the award makes a domestic programme a reference point in a European market responding to drone incursions and air-defence demand. It places the company's radar and counter-drone equipment in a procurement category distinct from aircraft manufacture, broadening the defence offer on which Saab's longer-term position rests.

Common Questions
What is the GUTE II contract Saab won from Sweden?
Sweden's Defence Materiel Administration awarded Saab a 2.6 billion Swedish kronor contract for a mobile Counter-UAS system combining the Giraffe 1X radar, Trackfire remote weapon stations, and electronic warfare effectors, with deliveries beginning in 2027.Source: Lowdown drones-industry-defence Update 10
What does Saab make for counter-drone defence?
Saab makes the Giraffe family of mobile air-surveillance radars, including the Giraffe 1X, which is the core sensor in its Counter-UAS packages. It combines radar with Trackfire remote weapon stations and electronic warfare effectors.Source: Lowdown drones-industry-defence Update 10
Is Saab a NATO supplier?
Yes. Saab's Giraffe radars are in service with more than 20 nations, many of them NATO members. Sweden itself joined NATO in 2024, and the GUTE II contract is explicitly tied to Sweden's new NATO interoperability requirements.Source: Lowdown drones-industry-defence
What is Saab's role in the Baltic drone crisis?
Saab's Giraffe 1X radar is the primary air-surveillance sensor selected for Sweden's GUTE II Counter-UAS programme. As Baltic drone incursions escalate, Saab's mobile radar systems are being procured and deployed to address the threat.Source: Lowdown drones-industry-defence Update 10
Is Saab sending fighter jets to Ukraine?
Yes. On 30 June 2026 Saab signed a 24.6 billion Swedish kronor contract with Sweden's Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) for 16 Gripen E fighters destined for Ukraine, with deliveries scheduled for 2029-2030.Source: Lowdown
Source Material
Saab AB — Official Site