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Saab is moving ahead with the development of a new large-scale underwater drone aimed at addressing emerging security concerns in the maritime domain. The platform is being designed as a long-duration, autonomous vehicle with capabilities for surveillance, reconnaissance, and infrastructure protection. It will rely on a modular design that enables rapid reconfiguration, supporting payloads such as sonar, signal intelligence systems, or electronic warfare equipment. Company officials explain that such flexibility ensures relevance across diverse missions without requiring entirely new designs. Saab sees the drone as particularly important for defending critical seabed assets like energy pipelines, offshore facilities, and internet cables, all of which have become increasingly vulnerable to sabotage. The project also supports Sweden’s naval modernization and NATO’s collective push for stronger undersea monitoring capabilities. Maritime experts point out that autonomous drones of this class are essential for maintaining undersea situational awareness, complementing both surface fleets and submarines. While Saab has not provided technical details, expectations include long endurance, significant operating depth, and advanced stealth. Analysts emphasize that cost-effectiveness is a key advantage, allowing navies to maintain constant presence in sensitive areas without committing manned assets. Saab’s program strengthens Europe’s position in autonomous undersea technologies and signals that large UUVs will play a central role in future maritime defense strategies. https://weeklydefencenews.com/