Saab & Swedish Armed Forces Advance Naval Autonomy With Rapid Underwater Vehicle Launch

Less than one year after the contract award, Saab, the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), and the Swedish Armed Forces have successfully developed, built, and launched a Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (LUUV) demonstrator.

Progressing from an initial concept to a fully functional vehicle on an accelerated timeline, the demonstrator recently concluded its first phase following successful sea trials. The platform was engineered to support the evaluation of next-generation underwater capabilities and test collaborative operations alongside existing naval assets, including submarines. Findings gathered during testing will directly inform the ongoing engineering of software architectures, sensor suites, and autonomous functions, while supporting broader product development.

The rapid turnaround between establishing an operational requirement and executing maritime trials highlights a close collaboration between industry and Swedish government authorities. The engineering effort was driven by Saab’s software-centric development model and the integration of Autonomous Ocean Core, Saab’s proprietary control system engineered to deliver autonomous functionality across surface and subsurface platforms.

Integrating this software with established Swedish expertise in submarine design and sensor payloads enabled the team to transition rapidly from initial design to active water trials.

Mats Wicksell, head of Saab’s business area Naval, stated, “This project demonstrates how new technologies can be rapidly translated into practical operational value. The uncrewed underwater vehicle can contribute to increased endurance, enhanced situational awareness and strengthened underwater capabilities. The fact that we have also been able to develop and test the system in such a short timeframe demonstrates the strength of the collaboration between the Swedish Armed Forces, FMV and Saab.”

Building on Saab’s prior investments in autonomous underwater systems, the LUUV project is currently led by FMV in cooperation with the Swedish Armed Forces and Saab. With the initial trial phase concluded, subsequent phases will focus on integrating and evaluating more advanced capabilities. Ultimately, the programme is positioned to provide the technical and operational baseline required by Swedish defence authorities to inform future procurement decisions and deployment strategies for uncrewed undersea systems.