The Swedish air force is exploring the future introduction of additional capabilities for its Saab Gripen E fighters, as the service gets ready to introduce the type operationally.

Sixty of the new model are on order for Stockholm, with the lead examples to be fielded by the air force’s F7 Wing at Satenas air base later this year. Roughly 100 C/D-version Gripens also are already employed by Sweden.

“We are investigating together with the FMV [Defence Materiel Administration] how to further develop the Gripen E,” an air force programme official says.

“The area of electronic warfare [EW], and SEAD/DEAD is definitely among the things that we are developing in the upcoming version,” they add, with the latter referring to the suppression/destruction of enemy air defences.

“That could be done in development of the current [on order] fleet, or as a political decision to procure more Gripens,” the source says. “However, our first priority is to field the initial contract,” they add.

The Gripen E has an inbuilt EW capability in its baseline standard, including via the use of equipment installed in wingtip-mounted pods.

The FMV on 25 June awarded a roughly SKr2.9 billion ($304 million) contract to Saab linked to the Gripen E.

Noting that its 2013 development and production deal included the planned re-use of some components from the Gripen C/D, it states: “Due to the international situation, and in order to maintain freedom of action to possibly support Ukraine at a later stage with the JAS 39 Gripen, FMV has today signed an agreement to produce new materiel instead.”

Pointing to three earlier such amendments, the procurement body says: “the entire series of 60 aircraft will mostly be built with newly produced materiel”.

Meanwhile, speaking to journalists in Paris on 15 June, Swedish air force chief of staff Major General Jonas Wikman provided an update on the service’s activities as part of NATO.

“The operational tempo has really picked up for us,” he says, while revealing: “last year we had more than 300 ‘alpha’ scrambles of our QRA [quick reaction alert], to handle activities along our borders or in the Baltic Sea. That was very much higher than the previous years.”

Swedish Gripen Cs also are currently completing a back-to-back deployment at Malbork air base in Poland, in the nation’s first such commitment since becoming the western military alliance’s 32^nd and newest member in March 2024. The first activity saw the assets providing air policing cover, while the current work involves ensuring protection for the flow of logistics support to Ukraine.

“Now we are at that point where we can add value to NATO,” Wikman says. “That was one of our highest priorities – we were not going to just join NATO to get protection.”

Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the government in Stockholm in 2019 embarked on a programme to boost its air force’s capabilities, via major investments in capabilities, platforms and infrastructure.

“We laid out a plan to replace almost every platform that we had,” he says. “We have already replaced the trainer aircraft, and we are introducing a new fighter. We are replacing our tactical [transport] aircraft, airborne early warning and control [AEW&C], and our VIP aircraft.”

The service has retired its Saab 105 jet trainers and fielded the Grob Aircraft G120TP turboprop, will acquire four Embraer C-390 airlifters, a trio of Saab GlobalEye AEW&C assets, and two Bombardier Global 6500s for head of state transport use.

“The pressure on the Swedish air force is really high right now,” he adds.

As an example, the service – which in 2026 will mark the centenary of its establishment – is in the process of evolving its long-held dispersed operating concept.

“We need to combine our dispersal concept with the NATO ACE [agile combat employment] concept – more moving forces, [rather than] disappearing into the forest to survive,” Wikman says. “If we can combine those two aspects of operations we can really achieve some amazing results.”

Sweden is, meanwhile, also advancing studies into its future combat aircraft requirement. Launched in 2023, the Swedish concept air programme, or SWAP, is due to deliver its results by the end of this decade.

“The purpose is for the politicians to be able to make a decision by at the latest 2030 for what will come after the Gripen era,” says Brigadier General Lars Helmrich, director of the FMV’s air and space systems directorate.

Describing the current activity, he says: “What are the concepts that we want to have, and how do we maintain freedom of action? If it is possible to choose Swedish industry – where can they perform?”

Under contract to the FMV, Saab is now conducting Future Fighter System work into concepts such as loyal wingman-type unmanned air vehicles. That activity will see the company conduct flight-testing with technology demonstrator platforms from later this decade.

Story updated with details of 25 June Gripen E production contract.