Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration (FMV – Försvarets materielverk), the Swedish armed forces, and Swedish defence and security company Saab have combined to develop, build, and launch a large uncrewed underwater vehicle (LUUV) capability demonstrator platform.
The demonstrator is designed to help Sweden and its navy develop a range of underwater capabilities.
The LUUV launch comes just a year after the contract was awarded to Saab, with the demonstrator progressing from concept to a fully functional vehicle in that timeframe, the company said in a 16 October statement.
The LUUV’s delivery also illustrated how close collaboration between the government customer and industry supplier can significantly reduce the time from identifying an operational need to testing a new capability, it added.
The project’s first phase was completed with successful sea trials; the second phase is expected to focus on more advanced capability development, Saab said. The results from phase two will inform continued development of software, sensors, and autonomous functionality, and will also contribute to future product development, it added.
FMV is leading on programme development, in partnership with the armed forces and Saab. The programme is building on the company’s earlier developments in autonomous underwater capabilities.
Saab said a software-centric approach, integrating its Autonomous Ocean Core UUV and uncrewed surface vessel (USV) autonomous capability and control system, underpinned the LUUV’s rapid development.
Blending such autonomy-focused software with broader, established Saab and Swedish underwater-capabilities expertise was also crucial. “Combined with Swedish expertise in submarine design and sensor integration, [introducing autonomous software] has made it possible to take the project swiftly from concept to sea trials,” the statement said.
Moreover, alongside delivering an LUUV capability, the programme has wider impact, too. “The demonstrator has been [delivered] to support the development and evaluation of future underwater capabilities, and to enable operations alongside existing naval platforms such as submarines,” the statement said.
“This project [shows] how new technologies can be rapidly translated into practical operational value. The [LUUV] can contribute to increased endurance, enhanced situational awareness, and strengthened underwater capabilities,” Mats Wicksell, head of Saab’s naval business area, said in the statement.
The project provides a basis for Swedish decision-making regarding future acquisition and operational use of autonomous underwater systems, the statement concluded.
Sweden has a well-established record of developing UUV capabilities for operational use by the Royal Swedish Navy (RSwN) and other NATO navies. The RSwN’s incoming Blekinge-class diesel-electric submarines feature a large payload tube in the bow, called a multi-mission portal, through which UUVs and other capabilities can be deployed.
by Dr. Lee Willett
