In cooperation with an European Team, consisting of France, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Greece and Switzerland, Saab is developing an UAV with combat capabilities.

The goal is to join forces within the European Defence Industry, with each partner contributing their know-how.

NEURON is designed to be a platform for developing and evaluation of future cutting-edge technology. By example; advanced and robust avionics, autonomy, stealth technology, combat capabilities and adaptation to network based defense solutions. Achieved technology readiness levels will be used for future manned and unmanned combat vehicles.

The NEURON demonstrator will be capable of fully automatic take off and landing and will demonstrate the feasibility of advanced air-to-ground missions. It will have to reach its target under optimal stealth conditions, with minimal radar and IR signatures and will approach a target at subsonic speed, and launch one or several offensive payloads from an internal bay within a very short timeframe.

NEURON, as a technology demonstrator, will allow applicaton, integration and validation of the most advanced technological agenda existing today within the European Aerospace Industry. For the first time in a military project, it will be designed and developed within the frame of a completely integrated PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) environment. Through a virtual development platform where all six partners and countries can work together, simultaneously, on the same design.

The main technological challenges to be addressed during the design are aerodynamics, the composite structure, the internal weapon bay and higher reliance on electrical systems. C41 technologies for unmanned air vehicles will be used. It is also the intention to perform demonstration with a modular and reliable avionic system, using COTS-based modular on-board computers and high-productive and high-quality critical real-time softwares.

Saab is focusing on areas such as:
- overall/general design
- avionics systems
- airworthiness
- autonomy
- general systems
- structural design and manufacturing
- ground/flight Testing

First flight is planned to 2011.

"UCAV" stands for Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle.