Saab CEO says armed A3 drone will operate alongside Gripen E at lower cost than a fighter

Saab is developing an armed uncrewed aircraft, currently called A3, to carry weapons and sensors independently or alongside Gripen E fighters. The company describes a reusable platform that would accept greater mission risk than crewed aircraft while costing substantially less than a fighter, rather than an expendable or attritable drone. Its intended roles combine sensing with substantial weapons carriage as part of Saab’s work on complementary combat-air capabilities. During its third-quarter earnings discussion, Saab did not disclose a unit price, weapon selection or operational entry date, and said the A3 designation could change.