Sweden launches large drone project for the sea: Saab builds underwater drone of the future

60 million crowns for an underwater swarm

Sweden is taking a serious step towards an autonomous fleet. Saab has signed a contract with the country's Military Materials Administration (FMV) in the amount of 60 million Swedish kronor — almost 5 million euros — for the development and construction of a large uninhabited underwater vehicle known as LUUV (Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicle). This is not just another drone, but part of a strategy to create a networked underwater exploration of the future.

The goal is not to replace submarines, but to expand their capabilities. The LUUV should become an "extended arm" for the fleet, capable of working underwater for hours or even days without a crew.

LUUV: not just a drone, but an autonomous scout

The LUUV is a large vehicle designed for long—term missions. He will be able to perform reconnaissance, track underwater targets, check sea borders and even set traps for enemy submarines. The main thing is to do it autonomously, without constant control from the shore or from the ship.

Its heart is the Saab Autonomous Ocean Core system. This platform is already used in surface and underwater systems and provides a high level of independence: the drone itself plots a route, avoids obstacles, adapts to currents and can even make decisions based on sensor data.

Saab and FMV: how the Swedish underwater future is being built

Saab is the general contractor of the project. She is responsible for everything from design to testing. The work is carried out in close conjunction with the FMV, which defines the requirements and monitors the progress of development.

This is not Sweden's first experience in the field of unmanned underwater systems. Since the 2010s, the country has been actively developing this niche, and now it is one of the leaders in Europe. LUUV is a logical continuation: from small drones to large, multifunctional platforms.

What will the device do in 2026

The first LUUV sea trials are scheduled for the summer of 2026. At this stage, they will check how the device behaves in real conditions.: how it dives, maneuvers, holds course, and processes data. If everything goes according to plan, mass production and integration into the fleet could begin as early as the end of the 2020s.

For Sweden, a country with a long coastline and a complex maritime geography, such drones are an ideal tool: cheap, stealthy and effective. They will allow you to monitor the Baltic Sea without risking people.

The US Marines are testing the "smart" underwater drones JaiaBot — now exploration is underway from the seabed

JaiaBot

The US Marines no longer just land on the beach — now they first send forward a swarm of small underwater robots that scout everything for them. At Camp Pendleton in California, soldiers of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) gained practical experience working with the new unmanned underwater vehicles JaiaBot for the first time. The exercises took place on August 5, 2025, along the coast of Southern California — right in real conditions, not in a classroom.

What are these drones doing? JaiaBot are small, autonomous underwater robots that swim by themselves, scan the bottom, measure temperature, salinity, currents, and transmit ultra—accurate data in real time. Imagine: you are preparing to disembark, and you already have a map of the bottom, where you can see exactly where the silt is, where the rocks are, where the current is strong — and where it is better not to land. It's not just convenient, it saves lives.

Jaiabots are especially effective in coastal and littoral zones — those very shallow areas where it is difficult for ordinary ships and submarines to operate. It is here that the most risky operations take place: landings, blowing up obstacles, infiltration of scouts. Now Marines can launch drones a day before landing — and get a complete picture of the underwater situation without risking their people.

The exercise is part of a large—scale program to integrate unmanned systems into day-to-day operations. The U.S. Marine Corps relies on technology: drones in the air, on the ground, and now underwater. Jaiabots help not only in exploration, but also in mission planning, risk assessment, and even environmental monitoring.

Such systems are not fiction or a "toy for techies." It's a new intelligence weapon that makes Marines faster, smarter, and safer. And now, when the enemy thinks he is hiding underwater, it turns out that he is already being watched from the bottom — and nothing is missed.

Ocean Infinity introduces the Needlefish high-speed autonomous vessel for maritime defense

Ocean Infinity, a company known for its achievements in the field of underwater search and autonomous photography, has announced that it has reached a new level of maritime security development. At a private event in Kuwait, the company unveiled its latest secretly developed unmanned surface vessel, the Needlefish, designed to enhance the effectiveness of maritime surveillance and patrolling.

Needlefish is not an isolated system, but rather a key element of an integrated marine surveillance network. This high-speed autonomous patrol vessel is capable of performing a wide range of tasks, from reconnaissance and tracking to ensuring security in strategically important waters. Its implementation can be an important step in the development of autonomous maritime defense, especially in the face of growing challenges in the security of global waterways.

The vessel was officially launched as part of cooperation with the Kuwait Coast Guard (KCG), which indicates the interest of regional forces in innovative technological solutions in the field of security. The event was part of a demonstration of the company's capabilities in implementing projects combining advanced technologies and marine robotics.

Ocean Infinity has previously established itself as a leader in underwater exploration and autonomous systems, participating in the search for sunken objects and bottom mapping. Now, with the launch of Needlefish, it is expanding its horizons, relying on next-generation surface unmanned platforms.

Despite the limited amount of technical information, experts suggest that Needlefish has unique characteristics of speed and maneuverability, making it an ideal candidate for use in coastal waters and high-activity areas. Such systems can dramatically change the approach to maritime patrol and defense in the coming years.