Saab at DVD 2026
Written by Charlotte Sherwood, Senior Communications Specialist
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend DVD 2025 and spend time with colleagues on the Saab stand, seeing first-hand the conversations taking place with customers, partners and stakeholders from across the defence community.
Ahead of the event, Alex Alderson, VP Director Land Systems, spoke about the challenges armed forces face in an increasingly complex operating environment. DVD provided the perfect opportunity to bring that conversation to life, showcasing how Saab's capabilities support everything from situational awareness and protection, to training and mission effectiveness.
Demonstrating capability across the battlespace
Our stand featured a broad range of solutions, including Giraffe 1X, Sirius Compact, SHORAD C2, Barracuda Camouflage, Training & Simulation, the BlueBear Target System and Ground Combat capabilities.
Seeing these capabilities side by side gave visitors a clearer picture of how they work together in practice. From sensors such as Giraffe 1X and Sirius Compact providing greater awareness of the operating environment, to Barracuda Camouflage helping reduce detectability, and training solutions preparing personnel for real-world scenarios, the stand showcased the breadth of Saab's expertise across the land domain.
One of the highlights was the live air picture generated by Giraffe 1X, which helped bring Saab's surveillance and command and control capabilities to life. There was also plenty of interest in how solutions such as SHORAD C2 help connect information from multiple sources, enabling faster and more informed decision-making.
Speaking on the stand, Teresa, Lead Software Architect, reflected on the reaction from visitors: "A lot of people said they didn't realise Saab did all of these different things." It was a comment that came up more than once and highlighted the value of bringing such a wide range of capabilities together in one place.
One Saab, one team
Another standout aspect of DVD was the people behind the technology. Colleagues from across Saab, including teams from Surveillance, Land and BlueBear, as well as colleagues from South Africa, came together to support the event and engage with visitors.
As James Passmore, VP Director of Business Development & Sales, put it, DVD is "a great opportunity for us to bring the various constituent parts from Saab together." Across the two days, that collaboration was easy to spot, with technical experts, business development teams, sales and marketing all working together to share knowledge and support customer discussions.
For me, one of the biggest takeaways from the event was seeing the value of presenting Saab's capabilities as part of a wider story. While each solution has its own strengths, some of the most interesting conversations focused on how they can be combined to help customers meet today's operational challenges.
As DVD 2025 came to a close, it once again proved why it remains such an important event for the UK defence community. More than just a showcase of technology, it is an opportunity to connect with customers, exchange ideas and demonstrate how Saab's expertise can help support the requirements of the modern battlefield.