Executive Summary
- Saab announced on September 24, 2026, that it has signed three MoUs with SSC Space, OHB Sweden and Ericsson to explore future space-enabled and multi-domain defense capabilities.
- The partnerships cover different parts of the space architecture, including ground stations and launch infrastructure, satellite platforms and systems, and terrestrial and space-based communications.
- The move aligns with Sweden’s wider effort to develop sovereign military space capabilities, including additional satellites, space situational awareness and launch capacity, while integrating space services into air, land, sea and cyber operations.
Saab is expanding its role in the space domain through three new Swedish industry partnerships, seeking to connect satellite systems, ground infrastructure and communications with the company’s existing defense architecture.
The Swedish defense company said September 24 that it had signed Memorandums of Understanding with SSC Space, OHB Sweden and Ericsson. The agreements do not represent announced procurement contracts. Instead, they establish frameworks for exploring future cooperation in space-enabled and multi-domain capabilities.
The development comes as Sweden moves to treat space as an increasingly important part of national defense and NATO operations. Sweden’s 2025-2030 defense plan identifies growing dependence on space services and calls for military satellite procurement and the development of a national capability to launch them.
Saab’s space strategy moves toward systems integration
The significance of the agreements is less about Saab becoming a conventional satellite manufacturer and more about its attempt to connect existing Swedish capabilities into operational defense systems.
Saab already has extensive experience integrating sensors, communications, command and control and other defense technologies. Its new space initiative seeks to apply that systems-integration model above the atmosphere, linking space-derived information and communications with capabilities operating in air, land, sea and cyber domains.
That distinction matters because modern military space architecture is increasingly dependent on connections between individual components rather than isolated satellites.
A reconnaissance satellite, for example, produces limited operational value if collected information cannot reach commanders or other users quickly enough. Similarly, a communications satellite needs compatible ground infrastructure, network management and resilient links to remain useful during disruption.
Saab’s proposed role therefore sits between individual technology suppliers and the end-user defense architecture.
Three partnerships cover different parts of the space value chain
The three MoUs give Saab access to complementary capabilities.
| Partner | Area under discussion | Potential role |
|---|---|---|
| SSC Space | Ground stations, mission engineering, high-altitude platforms and launch infrastructure | Space access, satellite operations and ground segment |
| OHB Sweden | Existing and future satellite systems and platforms | Spacecraft integration into multi-domain defense systems |
| Ericsson | Terrestrial and space-based communications | Resilient connectivity across distributed networks |
The agreements remain exploratory, and Saab has not announced a specific operational system, satellite constellation, launch schedule or program cost under the MoUs.
SSC Space brings ground and launch infrastructure
The Saab-SSC Space agreement focuses on combining Saab’s integration capabilities with SSC Space’s existing services.
SSC Space operates ground station infrastructure and provides mission engineering and spacecraft operations services. Its Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden is also being developed for orbital launch operations and already supports rocket testing and other space activities.
That creates a potentially important domestic link between spacecraft, ground infrastructure and access to orbit.
Esrange’s location above the Arctic Circle also gives Sweden an existing infrastructure base suited to communications with satellites in polar orbits. SSC Space says the site supports telemetry, tracking and command functions as well as satellite data reception.
For Saab, the value is therefore not simply launch access. The partnership could provide a route toward integrating the entire mission chain from space infrastructure and satellite operations through to defense users.
OHB Sweden adds satellite systems expertise
OHB Sweden brings a different capability.
The company develops complete space missions and satellites, as well as propulsion, attitude and orbit control systems and mission-control software. It has more than three decades of experience across space missions ranging from low Earth orbit to geostationary and interplanetary missions.
Saab’s MoU with OHB Sweden will examine how existing and future satellite systems can be integrated into Saab’s multi-domain solutions.
This could help bridge a longstanding divide between spacecraft development and defense-system integration. Instead of treating satellites as separate assets, the architecture can be designed around the operational information and communications requirements of forces on the ground, at sea and in the air.
OHB Sweden’s recent industrial activity also shows that Sweden is developing greater depth in small-satellite production. In March 2026, the company announced an ESA contract to build 20 satellites for the EUMETSAT Polar System-Sterna program.
That industrial base could become increasingly relevant as Sweden expands its own military space portfolio.
Ericsson could connect terrestrial and space networks
The Ericsson agreement addresses the communications layer.
Saab said the companies will examine how terrestrial and space-based communication systems can be integrated to support defense, security and societal resilience.
This is important because military networks increasingly need multiple communications paths rather than reliance on a single infrastructure type.
Ericsson has already been examining the use of non-terrestrial networks for mission-critical communications and has highlighted the potential for satellite networks to complement terrestrial networks. The company has also studied methods for detecting and mitigating jamming in 5G networks, an issue directly relevant to communications resilience in contested environments.
The Saab-Ericsson partnership could therefore address the boundary between traditional military communications and commercial network technologies.
The technical challenge will be interoperability. A defense network has to maintain connectivity even when individual links are degraded, jammed or unavailable. Integrating terrestrial networks with satellite communications can provide additional paths, but it does not automatically guarantee resilience.
Sweden is building a broader national space-defense architecture
The new Saab partnerships fit into a wider Swedish government strategy rather than appearing as an isolated corporate initiative.
Sweden adopted its first defense and security space strategy in 2024. The strategy identifies space as both a strategic and operational domain and calls for a portfolio of space capabilities and services supporting total defense and crisis preparedness.
The government’s 2025-2030 defense resolution goes further, stating that Sweden’s dependence on space services is increasing. It calls for the procurement of military satellites and development of the Swedish Armed Forces’ ability to launch them.
In January 2026, Sweden announced another SEK 1.3 billion investment in space capabilities. The government said the package would support additional reconnaissance and surveillance satellites, space situational awareness and broader national space capabilities. Delivery of the additional satellites is expected to begin in 2026 and continue through 2028.
That creates a growing domestic market for companies able to connect satellites, communications, sensors and command systems.
The strategic gap Saab is trying to address
The emerging Swedish model has a potential advantage in industrial specialization.
SSC Space provides access to ground infrastructure, mission operations and developing launch capabilities. OHB Sweden contributes satellite and spacecraft expertise. Ericsson provides advanced terrestrial networking and communications technologies. Saab brings the defense-system integration layer.
The intended architecture can therefore be viewed as four connected segments:
- Space access and infrastructure: SSC Space
- Spacecraft and satellite systems: OHB Sweden
- Communications networks: Ericsson
- Defense-system integration: Saab
This structure differs from a model in which a single prime contractor attempts to own every technical layer.
It also reflects a broader European trend toward combining commercial space infrastructure with national defense requirements. Sweden’s government has explicitly identified its domestic space value chain and Esrange as strategic resources for national defense and security.
The competitive question will be whether these partnerships can progress from exploratory agreements into integrated, funded programs.
Resilience will be more important than simply adding satellites
Adding satellites alone does not solve the military problems associated with space dependence.
Adversaries can target satellites, ground stations, communications links and supporting infrastructure through physical attacks, cyber operations, electronic warfare and other forms of interference. A resilient architecture therefore requires redundancy across both space and terrestrial segments.
This is where the Saab initiative could become more significant if the partnerships eventually produce operational systems.
A network that can combine satellite communications, terrestrial networks, distributed sensors and multiple command nodes can potentially continue operating when individual elements are disrupted. However, the three MoUs announced today do not establish that capability yet.
No specific resilience architecture, satellite design, anti-jamming performance, constellation size or operational availability has been disclosed under these agreements. Those details should not be assumed until Saab, the Swedish government or the relevant program authorities publish them.
Nordic and NATO implications
Sweden’s space ambitions also have implications beyond its national military structure.
Sweden joined NATO in 2024 and has since been integrating its defense capabilities more closely with the Alliance. The Swedish government says it is participating in most NATO space initiatives and intends to contribute to NATO’s collective space capabilities.
A stronger national space architecture could therefore support both Swedish missions and allied operations.
The Arctic location adds another consideration. Sweden has emphasized the importance of the High North and its access to Esrange, while the broader Nordic region is increasingly important to NATO’s northern defense posture.
Space-enabled communications, surveillance and early warning can support that geography, but their usefulness depends on interoperability with allied systems and on the ability to operate during disruption.
What comes next
The immediate development is the signing of three MoUs, not the award of a space defense contract.
The next indicators will be whether Saab and its partners identify specific demonstration programs, satellite integration projects, communications architectures or government-funded requirements.
For Sweden, the industrial objective is becoming clearer: connect national capabilities across the space value chain rather than develop each component independently.
For Saab, the opportunity is to extend its established defense systems-integration model into space. Whether that produces a distinct operational capability will depend on subsequent technical studies, procurement decisions and funding.
For now, the agreements establish an industrial framework that aligns closely with Sweden’s broader policy to develop sovereign space capabilities and integrate space services into the country’s wider defense architecture.
