Saab Considers Cooperation with Airbus to Develop 6th Generation Aircraft

The Swedish defense company Saab is considering starting direct cooperation with Airbus Defence and Space to develop a new generation of combat aircraft.

This was announced by Saab CEO Mikael Johansson in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper.

This cooperation could be a way out of a difficult situation for both Sweden due to its financial constraints and Germany, given the difficult situation with the implementation of the Franco-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project.

Saab’s CEO noted that the company has the necessary technologies and competencies to create a prospective combat aircraft, and emphasized that both companies – Swedish Saab and European Airbus – have ‘strong relations’ in the field of aviation and defense equipment.

According to Johansson, any cooperation with Airbus will require the preservation of key industrial competencies for both parties, as well as clear political support from the governments of the partner countries.

Saab believes that a possible partnership with Airbus could combine the strengths of both companies – Swedish experience in light combat aircraft and Airbus’ European resources for large-scale programs.

In addition, the companies already have experience in technical cooperation: Saab supplies Arexis electronic warfare systems for the Eurofighter modernization program. The contract was signed with Airbus, and this was one of the factors that strengthened industrial ties between the two groups.

It is worth noting that Airbus Defence is currently going through a difficult period within the FCAS program. In particular, a representative of the CDU/CSU faction in the Bundestag Defence Committee responsible for the Air Force said that he sees no future for the European sixth-generation fighter project.

In addition, Airbus itself has announced plans to develop a sixth-generation fighter without the participation of the French company Dassault Aviation.

In his opinion, the development of a modern fighter can be most effective without the involvement of the French aerospace company Dassault, which, according to him, will allow the company to develop and build a high-quality combat aircraft as soon as possible.

As a reminder, Dassault is seeking an 80% stake in this program and will be responsible for both the fuselage and engines, which are to be developed by the French company Safran.

Airbus is concerned about this division of work, but France considers it important, primarily because of the desire to export the aircraft without the consent of other parties.