Saab develops a working underwater drone demonstrator in less than a year
Sweden’s new underwater vehicle has completed its initial sea trials
Military authorities will evaluate the drone before deciding on procurement use
Saab has built a large uncrewed underwater vehicle demonstrator, known as LUUV, in collaboration with Swedish defense authorities. The company finished development in less than a year after receiving its contract, and the prototype has already passed its first sea trials successfully. This means the drone now counts as a working demonstrator, giving engineers a real platform they can test and improve in the water. Quick progress and real-world testing
The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) and the Swedish Armed Forces are also involved, and they will help judge whether the technology suits military needs. Saab says the fast progress came from officials and engineers working side by side to develop and test the equipment in a short period. “This project demonstrates how new technologies can be rapidly translated into practical operational value,” said Mats Wicksell, head of Saab’s business area Naval. “The fact that we have also been able to develop and test the system in such a short timeframe demonstrates the strength of the collaboration between the Swedish Armed Forces, FMV and Saab.” Saab argues this kind of partnership can shorten the time between spotting a military requirement and testing a practical solution at sea. The completed sea trials offer a first look at how the vehicle performs in actual ocean conditions, rather than only during development testing…