Saab, the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), and the Swedish Armed Forces have completed sea trials of a large unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) demonstrator, the company said on Friday, October 16.
Saab said the UUV was developed, built, and launched less than a year after contract award and that the project's first phase has now concluded. The next phase is expected to focus on developing more advanced capabilities.
Results from the demonstrator will help advance software, sensor and autonomous function work, as well as future product development.
The FMV-led project is also intended to serve as a foundation for Swedish authorities' decisions about acquiring autonomous underwater systems in the future and using them operationally.
Development of the vehicle was aimed at assessing underwater capabilities for the future and supporting operations alongside current naval platforms, including submarines.
Mats Wicksell, head of Saab's naval business area, said it could contribute to increased endurance, enhanced situational awareness and strengthened underwater capabilities.
FMV awarded Saab the SEK60 million (US$6 million) development contract in August 2025. With FMV leading the project, Saab was appointed prime contractor, responsible for the vehicle's design, construction and testing.
Initially, the vehicle was intended as a sensor platform to monitor seabed infrastructure and detect threats below the surface. Weapons were excluded from its design during the first phase.
Saab identified the multi-mission portal on the Blekinge-class submarine as a means of deploying and retrieving the drone.