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Saab unveils surveillance, autonomy initiatives at Euronaval
At Euronaval 2026, Saab is presenting a new maritime surveillance system and a larger version of the Combat Boat 90, which can optionally operate without a crew. The Swedish group aims to help navies detect threats more effectively and coordinate their resources.
- Ocean Barrier, Saab’s system for underwater and surface surveillance.
- Saab’s new CB90 CX, equipped with the Giraffe 1X radar and Trackfire remotely operated weapon system (ROWS).
- Saab’s Sea Giraffe AMB-D radar, designed to enhance maritime detection capabilities.
© Saab
Seabed surveillance is becoming a key concern for navies as critical underwater infrastructure and coastal areas face increasingly diffuse threats. Against this backdrop, Saab is unveiling Ocean Barrier, an integrated underwater and surface surveillance system designed to provide a continuous picture of maritime activity. At the same time, Saab is developing its combat platforms and operations management systems to speed up threat detection and enable forces to respond more quickly.
“The maritime operational environment is probably more complex and uncertain than at any other time,” says Anna-Karin Rosén, Head of Strategy and Business Development at Saab Naval. For the company, the challenge is no longer simply to improve the performance of individual systems, but to network different capabilities so as to build a more comprehensive picture of the environment and coordinate the appropriate response.
Ocean Barrier: detecting threats beyond the surface
Ocean Barrier, which is being unveiled at Euronaval, is based on a scalable network of underwater and surface sensors. The data collected are brought together in a common environment to provide a coherent picture of the maritime situation, from offshore waters and archipelagos to ports and critical infrastructure. The aim is to identify unusual activity earlier, particularly when signatures are difficult to distinguish from background noise or conventional surveillance assets are inadequate.
Its modular architecture is also designed to accommodate new sensors and analytical tools as requirements evolve. Surveillance can therefore be maintained continuously without relying solely on the permanent presence of ships or personnel in the area. The same network-based approach is reflected in the Combat Boat 90 CX, the latest development of a craft previously associated with the rapid transport of troops.
The larger vessel offers improved seakeeping and greater payload capacity, allowing a wider range of systems to be fitted, including Saab’s Trackfire remotely operated weapon station (ROWS), anti-ship missiles and short-range air-defence systems. The craft is also designed to operate with or without a crew, using the Autonomous Ocean Core autonomy solution.
This versatility is also underpinned by a redesigned vessel architecture. The CB90 CX incorporates an electric steering system, together with upgraded automation and onboard monitoring systems. This new infrastructure is intended to make it easier to integrate additional capabilities over time, enabling the platform to adapt to changing operational requirements.
“Naval operations are moving towards distributed combat power, in which sensors, platforms and effectors work together across the maritime domain,” Rosén explains. This approach should make it possible to distribute resources, reduce reliance on having personnel aboard every platform, and adapt missions more readily to the threats encountered.
Connecting capabilities to speed up decision-making
Alongside these developments, Saab is highlighting advances in its sensors and combat systems, including the Sea Giraffe AMB radar and the 9LV combat management and fire-control systems. Details of the latest versions of 9LV and Ceros 200 are being unveiled at the show. Saab emphasises the need to distinguish genuine threats more effectively from harmless signals and to reduce the time between detection and action.
This drive for faster response forms part of a broader transformation in naval warfare, characterised by the development of autonomous systems, AI and the need to increase operational presence without routinely adding more crew. Saab aims to improve the integration of its sensors, command systems and weapons within architectures capable of coordinating crewed and uncrewed assets.
The group also aims to extend mission autonomy through its R&D investment, including by exploring the use of large language models (LLMs) to enhance the capabilities of uncrewed systems and make them easier to deploy as part of forces combining crewed and autonomous platforms.
The strategy also extends across the Atlantic Alliance. Saab is leading the MANGROVE consortium, which is laying the groundwork for the development of NATO’s Allied Underwater Battlespace Mission Network. “We are playing a leading role in developing the Alliance’s digital infrastructure,” Rosén remarks. The initiative illustrates the growing importance of information-sharing and interoperability in monitoring and protecting maritime areas.
At a time when “the underwater environment remains the last domain in which it is genuinely possible to remain concealed,” Euronaval will provide an opportunity to examine Saab’s new solutions and their potential applications in greater detail.
- Linda Verhaeghe
