The Swedish defense material management (FMV) has announced the start of a strategic project to develop a Large Uncrewed Undersea Vehicle (Luuv), a large autonomous underwater vessel to strengthen the country’s ability to monitor and protect maritime infrastructure.
Saab is chosen as the main contractor and will be responsible for the design, construction and testing of the new system, which is scheduled to carry out its first sea tests as early as the summer of 2026.
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Advanced autonomous technology
Luuv will be equipped with Saab’s autonomous Ocean Core, an autonomous control system that already provides independent operational capabilities for both surface and underwater vessels. The integration will enable the vessel to act as a very adaptable sensor platform, able to monitor, map the seabed and detect threats underwater.
Ifølge Mats Wicksell, leads for Saabs Förrettning area Kockums:
“It is gratifying that together with FMV and the Swedish armed forces we can develop an advanced system in a short time. The project makes it possible to create innovative solutions that provide significant advances in underwater technology and that fit well into Saab’s ongoing work on autonomy. ”
Initial features and limitations
Although Luuv is designed as a decision -making tool for military operators, in the initial phase it will not be armed. The main priority will be to deliver intelligence, monitoring and reconnaissance in depth, which will expand Sweden’s ability to protect sea tracts and critical infrastructure.
Strategic context
The project comes at a time when the need to monitor subsea cables, oil pipes and gas pipelines is becoming increasingly intrusive in the geopolitical context of the Baltic Sea.
Saabs and FMV’s commitment to autonomous vessels strengthen Sweden’s strategy to invest in quiet deterrence technologies and advanced underwater operations, and prepare the country for both current and future threats.
Source and pictures: Saab. This content is made with the help of KI and reviewed by the editorial staff.
