Saab’s 2025 Wrapped: Building Capability, Driving Innovation and Expanding U.S. Manufacturing

Advancing defense and civilian airspace safety 

This year, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) extended its 30-year partnership with Saab, selecting the Aerobahn Runway and Surface Safety service for 59 additional airports under the Surface Awareness Initiative (SAI). This win is a key contributor in the modernization of the national airspace and continuing to make air travel safer. 

Meanwhile on the defense side, Saab, Inc. received an award from the U.S. Army for our Giraffe 1X radar, bringing combat-proven counter-drone capability to American forces and allies. Weighing under 150 kg, this lightweight system delivers 360-degree coverage with a one-second refresh rate, deploying wherever emerging threats demand rapid response.

Saab continues our partnership with the U.S. Navy with active production and continual deliveries on the SPN-50 and SPS-77 radar systems. These radars provide critical surveillance capabilities on six classes of ships in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. Saab also continued production of the Integrated Mobile Pallets (IMPs) for the Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR). This Program is run in coordination with Northrop Grumman with support to the United States Marine Corps. 

Delivering domestic manufacturing for T-7A Red Hawk

In West Lafayette, Indiana, Saab continues to develop the first American-made T-7A Red Hawk aft fuselage. This advanced jet trainer, developed in partnership with Boeing, represents the future of pilot training. Previously manufactured by Saab’s Swedish team, the T-7A fuselage is now made in America, for America’s warfighters. Designed specifically for the U.S. Air Force, the T-7A will support training for more than 1,000 pilots annually.

Additionally, this year Saab, Boeing and BAE Systems have signed a Letter of Intent to collaborate on the Royal Air Force fast jet trainer program, leveraging T 7 as the core of the training system and creating a path for the three companies to support future international pilot training opportunities.

Delivering training and technology to transform warfighter readiness

From California's desert to Michigan's training ranges, Saab made 2025 a year of enhanced readiness through cutting-edge training technologies.

The U.S. Marine Corps awarded Saab a $37 million contract for additional Marine Corps Training Instrumentation Systems (MCTIS) equipment. At Twentynine Palms, MCTIS outfitted more than 3,200 Marines and 250 vehicles, delivering real-time feedback that’s changing how troops prepare for combat.

At Northern Strike 2025, the National Guard Bureau's largest annual exercise, Saab's Training as a Service (TaaS) supported over 7,500 participants  from 36 states and nine international partners, strengthening the collective defense capabilities of the U.S. and its allies.

And in April, construction crews broke ground  in Grayling, Michigan, for Saab’s 10th U.S. facility. Opening in 2026, the new facility will create more than 70 high-quality jobs and strengthen America's defense industrial base.

Accelerating innovation and supporting AI ethics framework for U.S. defense industry

Since launching in April 2024, Skapa by Saab has proven that focused, mission-driven teams can deliver operational capabilities at speed. The San Diego-based AI and autonomy accelerator secured nine Department of Defense contracts, and is building research partnerships around the globe to improve next-generation technology and ensure ethical deployment. 

Working with MIT, Skapa is addressing ethical AI standards through DARPA's ASIMOV program. The initiative is developing the RESPECT framework—benchmarks that quantitatively test autonomous systems against ethical performance criteria in military contexts. These evaluation standards will help ensure that AI advances align with operational values.

Expanding Capabilities at Sea

In Cranston, Rhode Island and Quincy, Massachusetts, Saab is producing approximately 10,000 MK39 Expendable Mobile Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Training Targets (EMATT) over the next decade. Saab is also providing AUV-62-AT services for the ASW training community.  The AUV-62-AT is the basis for the future MK 66 HUTT ASW training platform in the U.S. Navy. Additionally, the Double Eagle Program completed all tech transfers this year, and assembly of the vehicles is also underway in Cranston. When delivered in 2026, it will be the most capable Double Eagle system delivered to date.

Meanwhile, the Delphinus program supports the Navy’s unique mission requirements for expendable unmanned systems, providing a family of expendable vehicles compatible with multiple modular payloads. The vehicles are currently being developed at our engineering center in Quincy and Cranston, with completion planned at our new facility in Bristol, RI.

In 2025, Saab’s team built upon their mission success to secure an additional contract with the NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center. This vehicle will become the next generation platform for offshore scallop bed surveys, boosting efficiency while advancing sustainable fisheries and driving marine science forward.

Looking Ahead

Across its U.S. facilities, Saab delivered in 2025. From training thousands of warfighters and deploying counter-drone systems to American forces, to developing ethical AI for defense applications, Saab continues to expand its U.S. presence and add new capabilities for its customers. 

For Saab, 2026 promises to build on that foundation with more innovation, more American manufacturing and more solutions that keep people and society safe.