On Tuesday, 4 November 2025, the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), under the Ministry of Defence, signed a contract worth approximately 1 billion SEK with domestic company Saab Defence and Security for the serial delivery of new Universal Missile Launchers (UML) for the JAS 39 Gripen multirole aircraft, both the currently operated C/D versions and the new E version now being introduced.
Photo: Saab Defence and Security
The order concerns serial production, which follows an earlier pre-series batch ordered on 21 February this year. Yesterday’s order was included as an option under the contract for the development and integration of the UML universal missile launcher system with the aircraft.
“The launch system is an important part in order for us to continue ensuring the availability of Gripen and supporting the Swedish Air Force’s capabilities,” says Lars Tossman, head of Saab’s Aeronautics business area.
The UML launch system will be mounted on the underwing and centerline weapon pylons, and – with their advanced mechanical and electronic interfaces –will allow the integration of current and future aircraft armament, including missiles, bombs, flares and chaff (IRIS-T Block II development for four nations).
FMV tasked Saab Defence and Security with designing and integrating the new launch system under a contract dated 26 April 2022, valued at around 400 million SEK. The customer’s requirements included interfaces enabling rapid loading and unloading, compatibility with two types of Gripen weapon pylons, and domestic support for operation and repair.
On 11 July 2024, U.S. company L3Harris Release and Integrated Solutions Ltd. (part of L3Harris Technologies) announced a 27 million USD contract with Saab to integrate MELP5 (Missile Eject Launcher, Pylon 5) pneumatic launchers with Gripen aircraft, which will also be fitted to Brazilian F-39E Gripens. Both companies have cooperated on Gripen launcher technology since 2014. MELP5 uses PMEL (Pneumatic Missile Eject Launcher) technologies and is manufactured in Brighton, UK.
The Swedish Air Force’s JAS 39C/D fighters will remain in service into the 2030s, operating alongside their successors, the JAS 39E Gripen. Sweden ordered 60 single-seat JAS 39E aircraft on 17 January 2013 (with an option for 10 more from 3 March 2014) to replace the 39C and two-seat 39D variants, of which 71 are in service (out of 204 originally procured). Deliveries began on 20 October this year. In the future, all will be replaced by the next-generation KFS (Konceptprogram Framtida Stridsflygsystem), codenamed Vägval.
It is expected that the new universal missile launch system will subsequently be integrated with the latest JAS 39E Gripen aircraft destined for Thailand (4 of 12 planned) and Colombia (16 planned). Recently, the Swedish government and Saab submitted an offer to supply 12 aircraft to Peru, and Ukraine has declared an interest in acquiring an enormous 100–150 aircraft (with financing potentially coming from frozen Russian assets and with a production line proposed in Canada).
Moreover, the Gripen E/F remains a frontrunner in the Philippine fighter competition (alongside the F-16C/D Block 70/72). Previously, the newest Gripen variants were unsuccessfully offered in Canada, Finland, Indonesia, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Switzerland.
RELEASE: Saab receives order for launch system for Gripen from Swedenhttps://t.co/Oq6y506SIN
— Saab (@Saab) November 4, 2025
