Saab, the Swedish defense company, is considering starting a partnership with Airbus Defense and Space to develop a new generation of combat aircraft.
This information was announced by Saab CEO, Mikael Johansson, in an interview with the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, as reported by the Ukrainian portal Militarnyi.
According to Johansson, the company has the necessary technologies and expertise to create a potential combat aircraft and emphasized that both companies have “strong relations” in the field of aviation and defense equipment.
Saab believes that a potential partnership with Airbus could combine the strengths of both companies: Swedish expertise in light combat aircraft and Airbus‘s European resources for large-scale programs.
This cooperation could be a solution to a difficult situation for both Sweden, due to its financial constraints, and Germany, which has faced difficulties implementing the Franco-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project.
It is worth noting that Airbus Defense is currently going through a difficult period within the FCAS program, especially after a CDU/CSU representative on the Bundestag Defense Committee responsible for the Air Force said that he “does not see a future” for the European sixth-generation fighter project.
This statement arose following conflicts of interest between Germany and France within the FCAS project. After that, Airbus itself announced plans to develop a sixth-generation fighter without the participation of Dassault Aviation.
It is worth remembering that the French company Dassault is seeking an 80% stake in the program. In this scenario, it would be responsible for the airframe and engines, which will be developed by the also French company Safran.
However, while France considers this division of labor important for the future of the project, Airbus is concerned, mainly because of the desire to export the aircraft without the consent of other parties.
Photo: Saab. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
