Saab has completed the first phase of a programme for a large unmanned underwater vehicle (LUUV) for the Swedish Armed Forces. Less than a year after contract award, a battery-electric demonstrator had been developed, built, launched and put through sea trials.     The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) placed the SEK60 million (US$5.8 million) development order with Saab in August 2025. FMV leads the programme, with Saab serving as prime contractor and handling design, construction and testing. The company announced the launch on October 16, 2026, through its newly formed naval business area.    Saab has marketed the vehicle as an autonomous ocean drone (AOD). FMV likens it to a small submarine that is intended to monitor large areas autonomously. Its prospective roles include surveillance of maritime areas, protection of critical infrastructure, and detecting and deterring underwater threats.    

During the first phase, the vehicle functions as a sensor platform to help operators make decisions and is not designed to carry weapons. In its baseline intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) configuration, the vehicle is seven metres (23 feet) long with a diameter of 1.4 metres (4.6 feet) and weighs 6.5 tonnes.