“Dassault and Saab respect each other”: France turns to Sweden for its future fighter jet.
The bilateral defence relationship between Paris and Stockholm – the first capital to have responded to France’s proposal for an advanced deterrent – has reached a new level, the French ambassador to Sweden told *Les Echos*. However, Airbus is also said to be courting the country.
Goodbye Berlin. Spotlight on the North. In the rankings of the best potential partners for the future SCAF with a French flavour following the Franco-German split, Stockholm tops the list in Paris. “Our alliance is moving to a new level,” Thierry Carlier, France’s ambassador to the country and deputy head of the Directorate General for Armaments (DGA) until spring 2025, told Les Echos. “Sweden is a major partner in Northern Europe. We share synergies, an independent defence industry and the same geostrategic vision.”
Stockholm is the first capital to have responded to the French proposal for advanced nuclear deterrence, with the Rafale forming the air component. On 23 April in Paris, France and Sweden convened their first nuclear steering group, co-chaired by the Elysée Palace and the Swedish Prime Minister’s Office.
Mutual respect between Saab and Dassault
Sweden and France also share the same lessons learnt from the two XXL projects for future fighter aircraft. Berlin has confirmed the demise of the Franco-German SCAF, and Stockholm, for its part, has withdrawn from the British Tempest project in 2023. While disagreements between Dassault and Airbus precipitated the collapse of the Franco-German alliance, a very different relationship has developed over the decades between the French aircraft manufacturer and the Swedish flagship Saab.
“There has long been a strong mutual respect between Dassault and Saab,” notes the ambassador. Although their histories differ, Saab, like Dassault in France, was born out of a country’s desire to defend its neutrality. They are the only two manufacturers in Europe capable of developing a fighter aircraft. Furthermore, “the Rafale and the Gripen are two complementary aircraft; they are not in competition with one another,” notes the former head of international development at the DGA. The two aircraft have, however, already competed against one another in international tenders.
“This creates a shared DNA, a strong sense of respect and a shared expertise. We can explore areas of convergence together towards a shared vision of the fighter aircraft of the future,” adds Thierry Carlier, although no formal discussions are currently underway.
The Swedes are people with whom we get on very well.
Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation
Saab took part in the Neuron combat drone demonstrator programme led by Dassault, which was responsible for the design of the main fuselage, landing gear doors, avionics and fuel system.
Eric Trappier, who is not exactly known for lavishing praise on anyone, is full of praise. “We have the utmost respect for Saab, which designs, builds and manufactures aircraft. We’ve had excellent cooperation,” said the head of Dassault in 2024. “If we need to work with them, we’ll do so with great pleasure,” he had indicated during cooperation projects for the replacement of American AWACS. “This holds true for any other matter; the Swedes are people with whom we get on very well.”
As recently as three weeks ago, when tensions with Airbus were at their height, Eric Trappier cited the prominent Wallenberg family, shareholders in Saab, with whom relations were very good, as intermediaries on the SCAF, according to SLDInfo.
Airbus is also looking towards Stockholm
At the end of May, Stockholm’s historic order for four frigates worth nearly €4 billion from Naval Group, aimed at strengthening its defences in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea in the face of the Russian threat, cemented the ties. Following Sweden’s purchase of MBDA’s Akeron missiles, the NLAW anti-tank missiles co-produced by Saab and Thales, as well as Saab’s AT4s and the GlobalEye aircraft purchased by the French army, these cross-purchases are further strengthening ties right down to the units themselves.
The Swedish Defence Minister, Pal Jonson, made no secret of the fact that the purchase of frigates would enable the country to “forge closer long-term ties with France and pave the way for collaboration in many areas”.
As for fighter aircraft, “like us, Sweden is entering the era of connected combat. By 2040, they intend to move to the sixth generation,” the ambassador emphasised. Upon withdrawing from the British programme, Stockholm has set itself a new roadmap, but without committing to a fixed timetable and keeping as many options open as possible. Saab is said to be positioning itself to have a demonstrator flying as early as 2027.
And if the British project were to falter
This potential partner has not escaped the attention of Airbus either, nor of German politicians who were enthusiastic on Tuesday about finding new European allies, from the Swedes to the British. In the wake of the French contract signed for the frigates, Michael Schöllhorn, the head of Airbus Defence & Space, told “Dagens Industri” that Germany and Sweden had begun discussions on a future fighter aircraft. “These are productive but confidential discussions,” he added.
A partnership with Saab has been launched in the field of drones, although no concrete demonstrations appear to have been highlighted at this stage. Saab, for its part, has stated that any cooperation would be subject to a political decision. “That said […], we are open to collaborating with many players in the defence industry,” added a spokesperson.
In Paris, too, the future of the UK’s GCAP project is being closely monitored. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her British counterpart, Keir Starmer, are due to meet in London on Sunday. Rome, which is also involved, is closely watching the new tectonic shifts that are taking shape.
