A new era of underwater warfare. Saab’s Autonomous Ocean drone

From submarines to drones: a century of experience

Saab is not a newcomer to underwater technologies. With more than a hundred years of submarine-building tradition, the company has consistently pushed the limits of what can be achieved in challenging maritime environments. Submarines built for the Baltic Sea have demonstrated long-range endurance without logistical support, modular mid-life upgrades, and resilience in one of the world’s most complex naval theatres.

The Autonomous Ocean Drone inherits this evolutionary design philosophy. Modularity and adaptability lie at its core, enabling rapid integration of new systems and technologies to meet both today’s and tomorrow’s mission profiles.

Versatility in deployment

Unlike traditional underwater platforms, Saab’s LUUV offers flexible deployment methods. The drone can be launched directly pier-side or deployed covertly from compatible submarines, such as the Blekinge-class (A26) equipped with a multi-mission portal. This dual capability provides strategic choice: discreet operations when launched from submarines, or independent missions initiated from ports or surface ships.

ISR and seabed operations

At its current stage of development, the Autonomous Ocean Drone is optimised for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) tasks. Equipped with a suite of advanced sensor systems, it can conduct stealth monitoring, deliver objects to the seabed, or install seabed ISR infrastructure such as cables or power sources. The system can also support special forces operations by transporting equipment to hard-to-reach underwater locations.

Saab stresses that this is only the beginning. The platform is designed for scalability, with future capabilities such as torpedo launches already being evaluated as potential mission extensions.

Autonomous Ocean Core – the brain of the system

Central to the concept is Autonomous Ocean Core, Saab’s AI-driven system-of-systems architecture. It provides navigation, electronic warfare support, advanced sensor fusion, and the ability to synchronise with crewed and uncrewed assets. Built for long-term scalability, the core allows integration not only of Saab’s proprietary technologies but also third-party solutions — ensuring sustained relevance as the underwater threat landscape evolves.

Strategic implications

The unveiling of the Autonomous Ocean Drone comes at a time when seabed warfare and the protection of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and critical national infrastructure (CNI) are rising in importance. The Baltic Sea, with its dense infrastructure and geopolitical sensitivities, underscores the need for stealthy, long-endurance underwater assets.

By blending autonomy, modularity, and proven submarine heritage, Saab’s LUUV positions itself as a future cornerstone of underwater operations. Whether operating as a “water wingman” alongside submarines or conducting independent ISR missions, the platform represents a decisive step in extending the operational reach of modern navies.