Sweden has signed a 60-million kronor ($6.3 million) contract with Saab to design, assemble, and test a large uncrewed undersea vehicle (LUUV).
The LUUV will include sensors capable of mapping the seabed and detecting potential underwater threats, with a size planned to be comparable to a small submarine.
Saab will integrate its flagship Autonomous Ocean Core technology, which allows vessels to navigate independently on and below the water’s surface.
Saab said the resulting system will serve as a decision-support tool for operators and will not carry weapons in its first phase.
Stockholm plans to conduct the first sea trials of the platform in the summer of 2026.
Mats Wicksell, head of Saab’s Kockums division, said the initiative demonstrates the firm’s ability to develop systems that meet today’s needs while preparing for future maritime challenges.
“It is gratifying that together with [Defence Materiel Administration] and the Swedish Armed Forces, we have the opportunity to work quickly and together to develop a new advanced system in a short time,” Wicksell stated.
“The project makes it possible to create innovative solutions that can bring significant progress in underwater technology and fit well with Saab’s already ongoing development work in autonomy.”
Saab’s latest contract comes after the company’s acquisition of Deform, a Degerfors-based materials manufacturer, to strengthen its shipbuilding operations.
The business, a long-term Saab partner, is currently supporting the development of Blekinge-class attack submarines for the Swedish Navy in Karlskrona.
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