The Saab Viggen proved to be yet another milestone in the indigenous design theories put forth by the nation of Sweden. The system was designed from the outset to be a battlefield friendly alternative to its opponent counterparts. The system was engineered to operate under the most dire of battlefield conditions, requiring just 7 ground crew personnel (only one of them had to be fully trained in the system) to refuel and rearm the aircraft. The system also featured a highly-advanced onboard computer system that negated the need for a radar operator altogether. A folding tail section was also implemented to allow for storage in underground bases throughout the country.

Like the Saab Draen before it (detailed elsewhere on this site) the Saab Viggen was required to operate on the shortest of runways, This was accomplished through its delta wing design philosophy complimented by forward mounted moving canard planes on either side of the intake, just behind the cockpit seating area. The system could also be fitted with rockets to assist in take offs from stretches of short runway. The Viggen was powered by a single Volvo Flygmotor capable of generating up to 1,365 miles per hour. A single rudder sat atop the design at rear, just above the engine outtake. The large delta wing design offered up to seven hardpoints for various munitions in both the air-to-air and air-to-ground roles as needed.

The Saab Viggen came in three appropriate flavors in the form of an strike fighter, a photographic reconnaissance model and an all-weather interceptor fighter. These three models would provide the backbone of first line defense for the nation for years to come, fulfilling the role of the Draken before it, though it did not account for the great numbers that one might think for a frontline fighter. Nevertheless, the Viggen would hold its own until it would be dutifully replaced by the Saab Gripen (detailed elsewhere on this site), the next evolution in Swedish fighter design.