As the newest member of NATO and facing the unstable military menace posed by Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Sweden has already begun its search for its future airpower. For a while the nation appeared eager to partner in the UK/Italian/Japanese Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), but Sweden has elected not to join.
For now, the Scandinavian state’s path centers on evaluating the best way forward for Swedish airpower to make a decision in 2030. Sweden could choose the GCAP—or its Franco/German/Spanish Future Combat Air System (FCAS) equivalent—but it also might pursue a new fighter program independently.
Work known as the Koncept för Framtida Stridsflyg (KFS or future fighter concept) got underway in July 2023, while Saab’s informal “Building X” technology hub takes a leading role. On November 1 Saab formalized its status to become the Advanced Programs business unit led by Peter Nilsson. Läs artikel