Saab has secured a €5.5 million FMV contract to develop a large unmanned underwater vehicle, with sea trials set for 2026 under Kockums’ lead for Swedish Navy.
Saab has been awarded a contract worth €5.5 million by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) to develop a new large unmanned underwater vehicle (LUUV). The programme will be run by Saab’s Kockums shipyard, renowned for submarine construction, with sea trials scheduled to begin in summer 2026.
The LUUV will integrate Saab’s “Autonomous Ocean Core” system, designed to enable independent control and long-duration operations. Initially unarmed, it will focus on seabed surveillance, mapping of critical infrastructure, and detection of underwater threats. Saab emphasises the system’s value as a decision-support tool rather than a combat platform in its early stages.
Sweden’s initiative joins parallel LUUV efforts across Europe and beyond, including Boeing’s Orca for the US Navy, Naval Group’s UCUV for France, the UK’s Excalibur, Italy’s Drass Ronda, and Germany’s MUM project with TKMS and Atlas Elektronik. Saab’s system is expected to operate alongside the future A26 Blekinge-class submarines, with two due for delivery by 2030.
