Saab has been contracted by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) to develop a new Large Uncrewed Undersea Vehicle (LUUV), the company stated.
The order is valued at SEK 60 million and will see Saab design, build, and test the system ahead of planned sea trials in 2026.
The LUUV programme is intended to deliver a new class of large autonomous underwater vehicles for seabed monitoring, mapping, and surveillance. According to Saab, the vehicle will initially be a sensor platform and decision-support tool rather than a weaponised system.
Saab confirmed that its autonomous control suite, known as Autonomous Ocean Core, will be integrated into the LUUV. The company said this software provides autonomy for both surface and subsurface vessels.
Mats Wicksell, head of Saab’s business area Kockums, described the project as an opportunity to accelerate capability development. “It is gratifying that together with FMV and the Swedish Armed Forces, we have the opportunity to work quickly and together to develop a new advanced system in a short time,” he said.
“At Saab we get to demonstrate our ability to deliver systems that are both effective and adapted to current and future challenges. 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.”
The company noted that the need to monitor and safeguard seabed infrastructure has become increasingly significant, with undersea cables and energy pipelines now considered critical assets. Saab stated that the LUUV would be designed to address these challenges and provide operators with new options for situational awareness beneath the surface.
The first sea trials of the system are scheduled for summer 2026.
*Swedish Defence Material Administration* = FMV ?
Is this some sort of MI6 cryptic Test ?
These large underwater drones will be the death of the SSK.
Not much point in sticking 30 people in a half a billion pound steel can to slowly crawling around littoral waters or a narrow strait when you can have a large drone do it for a fraction of the cost.
New detection methods, especially from space, will make SSK’s all but useless outside of littoral environments.
SSN’s will be more potent than ever, especially if they can now forward deploy their own little squadron of drones into shallow littoral waters.
This is why Australia choose SSN A
Australia chose Aukus because Australia is miles and miles away from any viable deployment zone.
Any luck translating SDMA into FMV ?🤔👀
Confused from Cambridge.