– The close ties between Saab and MBDA are reflected in our long-standing collaboration, and the deepening and broadening of cooperation through these declarations of intent is very welcome. Doing this in Stockholm during President Macron's state visit to Sweden is symbolic of how two European governments working together can make it easier for the industry to strengthen our collective security, said Micael Johansson, CEO and President of Saab in the company's press release.
Saab and MBDA are long-term partners, primarily through collaboration on the Meteor air-to-air missile and the TAURUS cruise missile.
MBDA is jointly owned by Airbus (37.5%), BAE Systems (37.5%), and Leonardo (25%). In November, FMV signed an agreement with the British branch of MBDA to equip the Navy's Visby corvettes with air defense missiles.
The signing was announced today just over an hour after the Ministry of Defense announced that the defense ministers of Sweden and France signed a Declaration of Intent, to jointly explore potential future cooperation opportunities in the defense sector.
Yesterday, January 30, French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) signed a renewed strategic innovation partnership between the countries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote on X/Twitter the same day that: "The already strong defense cooperation between Sweden and France is deepening. By developing our defense industry, including ammunition manufacturing, we strengthen our countries' capabilities and resilience."
Saab and MBDA state in their press release that anti-tank and ground-based air defense have been identified as particularly critical for the defense forces of both countries, especially in connection with high-intensity conflicts.
The cooperation in the anti-tank area has resulted in an initial focus on AKERON MP (also known as Missile System 58). Saab and MBDA have received an initial contract from the French procurement agency DGA, and the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration. This will enable a merging of Saab's and MBDA's expertise in the anti-tank area to support the Swedish and French defense forces' choice of the AKERON MP weapon system in the short term, according to the press release.
Additionally, it will be possible to implement a joint development plan aimed at developing new features specifically associated with Beyond Visual Range (BVR) firing, the companies write.
– This is an exciting new step in our long-standing collaboration with Saab. We are both world leaders in the areas of anti-tank and air defense, and we are combining our expertise to deliver the most effective capability for the armed forces on the battlefield. The signing of these declarations of intent is further proof that cooperation is at the core of MBDA's values, said Eric Béranger, CEO of MBDA in the press release.