Saab AB facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the defence company. For the defunct car company, see Saab Automobile. For other uses, see Saab (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids
Saab AB

Formerly	SAAB/Saab AB (1937–68) Saab-Scania (1968–95)
Type	Publicly traded Aktiebolag
Traded as	OMX: SAAB B OMX Stockholm 30
Industry	Aerospace and defence
Founded	1937 in Trollhättan, Sweden
Founders	Marcus Wallenberg Jr. Axel Wenner-Gren Sven Gustaf Wingqvist
Headquarters	Stockholm, Sweden
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Marcus Wallenberg (Chairman) Micael Johansson (President & CEO)
Products	Air traffic control Air traffic control systems Fighter aircraft Military aircraft Military systems Radars Military watercraft
Revenue	63.751 billion kr (2024)
Operating income	5.662 billion kr (2024)
Net income	4.210 billion kr (2024)
Total assets	99.823 billion kr (2024)
Total equity	35.812 billion kr (2024)
Owner	Wallenberg family (38.9%; 47.7% votes)
Number of employees	24,500 (2024)
Subsidiaries	BlueBear Combitech CrowdAI

Saab AB is a Swedish company that builds things for aerospace and defence. It's often called the Saab Group. The company's main office is in Stockholm, Sweden. However, most of its design and manufacturing work happens in Linköping.

Saab was officially started in 1937. It began by changing the aircraft engine part of a company called NOHAB into a proper aircraft maker. This happened in Trollhättan. Later, in 1940, it joined with another aircraft company, ASJA, which was in Linköping. ASJA had its own design team and is seen as the true starting point for today's Saab AB.

In 1947, Saab started making cars. This car part became its own company, Saab Automobile, in 1990. It was a joint project with General Motors. The car company eventually became fully owned by GM in 2000. From 1968 to 1995, Saab was merged with a truck and bus maker called Scania-Vabis. Even though they split up, both Saab and Scania still use the cool griffin logo. This logo comes from the coat of arms of the Swedish region of Scania.

Discovering Saab's History

How Saab Began: Making Airplanes

SAAB's logo from 1939. It shows a Junkers Ju 86, which was the first aircraft the company built under license.

Saab was founded in 1937 by a company called AB Bofors. Its original name was Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget, which means "The Swedish Aeroplane Corporation." It started in Trollhättan. Bofors wanted to create a company that could build aircraft for the Swedish Air Force.

At that time, another company, ASJA, was already a leading aircraft maker in Sweden. ASJA was in Linköping. In 1937, Saab and ASJA tried to work together under a parent company called AB Förenade Flygverkstäder (AFF).

However, the two companies still competed for contracts. Saab in Trollhättan built some planes, like the Junkers Ju 86 bomber. But ASJA won most of the contracts. ASJA's designs for the Saab 17 and Saab 18 planes were very successful. So, in 1939, it was decided to combine them. ASJA became the main part of the Saab group, and its Linköping factory became the main headquarters.

A SAAB 18B plane being built at the Saab Linköping factory during World War II.

During World War II, the Swedish government needed good military aircraft. They couldn't get enough planes from other countries. So, Sweden decided to build its own military aircraft. Saab became a big part of this effort. This policy of making their own planes continues even today.

Saab's first aircraft was the SAAB 17 light dive bomber, which first flew in 1940. Then came the SAAB 18 bomber in 1942 and the SAAB 21 fighter in 1943. The SAAB 21 was special because it was one of the first planes to use a modern ejection seat.

SAAB's logo from around 1943.

After the war, Saab wanted to make more than just airplanes. There was a shortage of cars in Sweden. So, in the late 1940s, Saab started making cars in Trollhättan. Their first car was the Saab 92. Full production began in December 1949. Around 1950, the company started using "Saab" instead of the all-caps "SAAB."

In the late 1950s, Saab also got into computers with Datasaab. They wanted to make a computer small enough for airplanes. During the 1960s, they made and sold computers for things like banking. The computer used in the Viggen jet in 1971 was a Saab design.

Saab Today: A Modern Company

Saab's logo from the late 1950s.

In 1965, the company changed its name to Saab AB. This showed that they were doing many different things.

In 1968, Saab AB merged with Scania-Vabis, a company that made trucks and buses. They became Saab-Scania AB.

In 1990, General Motors bought 51% of the car division, Saab Automobile. They bought the rest ten years later.

In 1995, Saab-Scania split into two separate companies again: Scania AB and Saab AB. This happened because the main reason for their merger (the car division) was no longer there.

Also in 1995, Saab Military Aircraft teamed up with British Aerospace (now BAE Systems). They formed Saab-BAe Gripen AB to build and sell the Gripen fighter jet worldwide.

Saab has continued to grow and acquire other companies. For example, in 2000, they bought Celsius AB. In 2023, Saab acquired Blue Bear Research Systems, which makes AI-powered drone systems. They also bought CrowdAI, an artificial intelligence company.

Building Awesome Aircraft

Saab's main focus for aircraft is fighter aircraft. They have been building planes since the 1930s. Before the JAS 39 Gripen, they made famous jets like the Tunnan, Lansen, Draken, and Viggen.

Saab also made civilian planes, like the Saab 340 and Saab 2000. These were propeller-driven airliners for short to medium flights. All these aircraft are developed and built in Linköping.

In 2019, Saab announced plans to build a new factory in the U.S. This factory will assemble the T-X advanced jet trainer. This plane was developed by Boeing and Saab for the United States Air Force.

How Saab is Organized

Saab has different business areas, each focusing on specific products and services.

Aeronautics: Flying High

JAS 39 Gripen

Aeronautics deals with airborne systems, like parts for planes, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), and aircraft structures. This area is responsible for building parts of the JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet. They also make sections for large planes like Airbus and Boeing.

Aeronautics also works on the Skeldar VTOL UAV (a drone that takes off and lands vertically). Saab is also a partner in the European drone project Dassault nEUROn. They help design the electronics and overall structure for this project. This area also handles selling and supporting the JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet.

Dynamics: Ground and Sea Power

Saab AT4 portable anti-tank weapon

Dynamics creates ground combat weapons, missile systems, and torpedoes. They also make sensor systems and unmanned underwater vehicles like Sabertooth. These products are for armed forces and civil security.

Some of their short-range weapons include the Carl Gustaf and AT4. They also make missile systems like the RBS 70 and RBS 15.

Surveillance: Eyes and Ears

Saab 340 with Erieye radar

Surveillance provides systems that help see and hear things. This includes airborne surveillance, like the GlobalEye and Saab 2000 Erieye AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning & Control) aircraft. These planes act like flying radar stations.

They also make ground-based and naval radar systems, such as the Giraffe radar range. This area also develops electronic warfare systems and combat systems.

Industrial Products and Services: Beyond Defence

This part of Saab focuses on business-to-business (B2B) customers. This means they sell to other companies, not just governments. This area includes Combitech, Avionics Systems, Aerostructures, Traffic Management, and Vricon. They also develop new product ideas that are outside Saab's main defence business.

Support and Services: Keeping Things Running

Support and Services offers maintenance, logistics, and support for Saab's products. They help keep aircraft and other systems working properly.

Saab Aircraft Leasing is part of this area. It leases and resells Saab aircraft to airlines.

Saab Barracuda LLC: Hiding in Plain Sight

Saab Barracuda LLC makes products that help hide military equipment. Their main product is the Ultra Lightweight Camouflage Net System (ULCANS). This system helps hide things from sight, infrared, and radar detection. It's used by the U.S. Army and other defense groups.

Saab Kockums: Under the Sea

The Kockums shipyard is where Saab's submarine division is based. They build submarines and other naval vessels.

Saab's Amazing Products

Military Aircraft

Saab 17 (bomber/dive-bomber: built 1941–1944)
Saab 18 (twin-engine bomber: built 1944–1948)
Saab 21 (fighter/attack aircraft: built 1945–1949)
Saab 21R (jet version of Saab 21: built 1950–1952)
Saab 29 Tunnan (first jet fighter: built 1950–1956)
Saab 32 Lansen (attack aircraft: built 1953–1959)
Saab 35 Draken (fighter: built 1955–1974)
Saab 37 Viggen (fighter/attack/reconnaissance: built 1970–1990)
Saab JAS 39 Gripen (multirole fighter: introduced 1996)
Saab 105 (twin engine trainer: built 1963–1972)
Saab 340 AEW&C (airborne early warning and control: built 1994–1999)
Boeing-Saab T-7 Red Hawk (advanced pilot training aircraft: developed with Boeing)