AI takes the pilot’s seat: Saab tests autonomous agents on Gripen E fighter
Photo: Gripen fighter jet (Wikipedia)
Swedish company Saab has unveiled its own artificial intelligence agents, which independently controlled a Gripen E fighter jet during flight tests involving beyond-visual-range (BVR) air combat scenarios, according to a Saab press release.
On November 3, Swedish defense company Saab unveiled its proprietary artificial intelligence agents, which have undergone testing aboard the Gripen E multirole fighter. During flight tests, an AI agent independently controlled the aircraft in beyond-visual-range (BVR) air combat scenarios.
According to the company, the agents were developed by the Advanced Programs division within its Aeronautics business area. They can be used either to support a pilot in the cockpit or to operate alongside pilots from a separate unmanned platform. In addition to the agents, Saab has developed environments and tools for building, training, and evaluating them.
The AI Fighter Pilot Academy plays a key role in this process, allowing agents to train in simulated air combat scenarios. According to Saab, millions of simulated flight hours enable the systems to practice realistic situations and develop their ability to make tactical decisions. One of their capabilities — beyond-visual-range air combat — has already been tested under real flight conditions.
Saab also noted that the Gripen E's software-defined architecture makes it possible to integrate and test new AI software directly on an operational fighter jet, without the need for separate experimental platforms. According to the company, this approach is expected to shorten development cycles and accelerate the transition from new technology to operational capability.
"We have not only developed our own AI agents but have also flown with them. This demonstrates our ability to develop AI agents that can be integrated into operational fighter aircraft. Future air combat will not be decided by individual platforms, but by networks of manned and unmanned systems working together," said Peter Nilsson, Head of Advanced Programs.
To scale up development, Saab is using the computing power of Sferical AI. This is a Swedish sovereign AI initiative in which the company is one of the founding partners. According to SVT, the Sferical One supercomputer in Linköping plays an important role in this effort. It was commissioned in late summer.
Saab will continue developing the agents' capabilities and testing them across a wider range of scenarios. The infrastructure created as part of the AI Fighter Pilot Academy is also expected to be used for unmanned platforms and future systems in which manned and unmanned aircraft operate together.
Earlier, in June 2025, Saab and Helsing completed the first three Gripen E flights featuring Helsing's Centaur AI agent. The project was fully funded by the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV).
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that Ukraine expects to receive Swedish Gripen fighter jets in the near future. Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced this on October 16 following a meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Brussels.
