Its corporate heritage goes back to Bofors, a hammer mill, which was founded as a royal state-owned company in 1646.
In 1999, Saab purchased the Celsius Group, by that time the parent owner of Bofors.
In September 2000, SAAB sold their Bofors Weapon Systems, which produced the autocannon and tube artillery weapons, to United Defense Industries, while Saab retained their missile interests.
[1] The weapon systems include sensors based on radar, infrared, and lasers.
Several public campaigns, including civil disobedience actions, have targeted production sites as a protest against Swedish arms export.