1948

The Saab J29 Tunnan jet fighter made its maiden flight in 1948. It embodied the latest technologies of its time and was the first Western European fighter with a swept wing. Maximum speed of the first version was 1,035 km/h, which made the famously nicknamed "Flying Barrel" one of the fastest aircraft in the world. In 1954 and 1955, it set two world speed records.

At the end of 1948, the Swedish Air Force decided that it also wanted a very high-performance, single-engined, two-seat aircraft for ground attack, reconnaissance and night fighting. Named the Saab 32 Lansen, the new aircraft was to be Sweden's first "weapons system" and marked Saab’s entry into the electronic age.