Saab has flown an artificial intelligence (AI) agent on a Gripen E fighter during beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-combat scenarios to control the aircraft autonomously during the trials.
The Swedish defence prime said the flight activity demonstrated its ability to “develop, train and fly” AI agents into a fighter aircraft, rather than testing them only in simulated environments.
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BVR combat refers to engagements conducted beyond the range at which pilots can directly see opposing aircraft.
Saab said the capability had been trained in simulated environments before being validated during real flight conditions.
The agent was developed through Saab’s AI Fighter Pilot Academy, which provides simulation, training and evaluation infrastructure for different air-combat tasks.
According to the company, the agents accumulate simulated flight hours across varied scenarios and use the results to refine their decisions against defined objectives.
The academy’s development framework is designed to support additional scenarios, capabilities and platforms without requiring the underlying infrastructure to be rebuilt.
Saab said the agents could support pilots in the cockpit or operate alongside them on an uncrewed aircraft.
Saab aeronautics business area, advanced programmes head Peter Nilsson said: “The future of air combat will not be defined by individual platforms acting alone, but by networks of crewed and uncrewed systems working together as a coordinated force.
“Through our ownership of the entire technology stack, we are building the capabilities needed for that future.”
Saab said Gripen E’s software-defined architecture allowed the AI software to be integrated and flown on the aircraft without a dedicated experimental platform.
Safety and control are integrated from the start of development, with an emphasis on trusted AI for use in combat aircraft.
Sferical AI, a Swedish sovereign initiative co-founded by Saab, provides the secure, large-scale computing resources needed for the company’s advanced AI development.
Saab plans to develop the AI agents for additional tasks and test them across a wider range of flight scenarios.
The company said the infrastructure created through its AI Fighter Pilot Academy could also support the development of uncrewed aircraft.
It expects future air operations to involve crewed and uncrewed platforms working together, increasing the need for AI systems that can be developed, controlled and verified domestically.
According to data and analytics firm GlobalData, integrating crewed and uncrewed platforms, known as Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T), could “radically alter” aerial combat and the aerospace sector in the coming decades, despite ongoing technological hurdles.
The report highlights that advances in AI and platform autonomy are enabling uncrewed aerial vehicles to take on broader missions, including aerial refuelling, strategic bombing, and loyal wingman roles.
In its Strategic Intelligence: Manned-Unmanned Teaming (2026) report, GlobalData projected the global expenditure on unmanned vehicles, currently valued at $18.9bn, to reach $36.3bn by 2036, with European markets expected to lead in all categories.
According to the report, this projected near-doubling of defence expenditure over the next ten years will lead to a corresponding surge in spending on MUM-T capabilities as armed forces expand and scale up their use of drone assets.
