Saab- Aircraft and Automobile Maker in Sweden

                                       THE HISTORY OF SAAB

SAAB Saab is an aircraft and automobile concern based in Sweden, founded 1937 in Linköping. Its name is an acronym for "Svenska Aeroplan AB," where "AB" stands for "aktiebolaget" ("limited company"). Originally manufacturing airplanes, the company sought ways in which to diversify its business and in the late 1940s started to manufacture Saab Automobile, based in the city of Trollhättan. The first car was the Saab 92001 on June 10, 1947. In the late 1950s SAAB then ventured into the computer market with Datasaab. In 1969 Saab merged with the truck maker Scania-Vabis, and between 1969 and 1995 the company was called Saab-Scania AB. General Motors bought 51 percent of the automobile division Saab Automobile in 1990, and acquired the rest a decade later. Saab Automobile has not generated a profit since the complete GM takeover. OWNERSHIP Since 1998 BAE Systems has been the largest shareholder in Saab following its acquisition of a 35% stake from Investor AB by its predecessor, British Aerospace. From January 2005 BAE reduced its shareholding to 20%, which it views as a long term interest. Investor AB also maintains a 20% share. AIRCRAFT Currently, the main focus of the aircraft production is fighter aircraft, with the recent JAS 39 Gripen as the flagship model. Saab has been making airplanes since the 1930s, and predecessors to the Gripen were among others the Lansen, the Draken and the Viggen. The last civilian models made by Saab were the Saab 340 and Saab 2000. Both were mid-range, turboprop powered, passenger planes. The development and the manufacturing of these aeroplanes has all been made in Linköping, Sweden. In 1995 Saab Military Aircraft and British Aerospace (now BAE Systems) formed the joint venture company Saab-BAe Gripen AB, with the goal of adapting, manufacturing, marketing and supporting Gripen internationally. This co-operation was extended in 2001 with the formation of Gripen International for the same purpose. BAE designed an improved wing, which they then manufactured and are set to produce 45% of currently planned export airframes. Saab Military Aircraft is responsible for the overall 'aircraft system' including basic aircraft development and production, and testing and delivery. Saab 17 (bomber) Saab 18 (bomber) Saab 21 (push-prop) Saab 21R (jet) Saab 29 Tunnan Saab 32 Lansen Saab 35 Draken Saab 37 Viggen Saab 39 Gripen Saab 90 Scandia Saab 91 Safir Saab 105 Saab 340 Saab 2000 SPACE & MILITARY TECHNOLOGY Saab Ericsson Space is a joint venture with Ericsson, designing the on board computers used in the Ariane 5 rockets used by the European Space Agency. Saab Bofors Dynamics develops military applications such as RBS15, Carl-Gustaf, AT4, IRIS-T and METEOR. DATASAAB The Datasaab company was a result partly of the need of heavy computational power for the aircraft development, partly of the science-fictional idea to make a computer that would be small enough to mount in an aeroplane as navigational equipment. During the 1960s several successful and advanced systems were developed and sold to several European countries (used in e.g. banking). The aircraft computer (CK37) was achieved in 1971 in the Viggen. The now less successful company was sold off in 1975 to Sperry UNIVAC, while flight computer development was kept in Saab.

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