Saab lifts the veil on latest SAS-equipped AUV62-MR variant
Saab's AUV62-MR mine reconnaissance system. (Richard Scott/NAVYPIX)
Saab unveiled the latest iteration of its AUV62-MR autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and confirmed plans for deliveries to Sweden's Defence Materiel Administration (Försvarets materielverk: FMV) in 2027.
Developed in conjunction with sonar specialist Klein Marine Systems, the new AUV62-MR is a long endurance AUV optimised for high-speed, high-resolution seabed mapping in support of covert mine reconnaissance missions, or other applications such as pipeline survey, critical undersea infrastructure (CUI) protection, and underwater intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). Saab debuted the new version at an export market launch event in Gothenburg on 4 February.
While the AUV62 lineage began in the late 1990s, the latest MR evolution resulted from a new collaboration. Saab and Klein developed a high-resolution synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) payload that combined Klein hardware with Saab processing software. FMV became lead customer in 2024.
Saab product manager Alfons Råberg said the AUV62-MR is intended to deliver lower operator workload and increase mission efficiency for customers requiring high resolution seabed images and high coverage rates. “We are competitive in all waters, but we have a clear edge in shallow waters and poor water conditions,” he said. “That is mainly because of speed. We perform sonar imaging at high speeds, and we have a high end constant coverage rate of above 3 km2/hour.
“If it gets shallower, most systems go at around 3-6 kt. But during [NATO's] REPMUS (Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping with Maritime Unmanned Systems) 2024 exercise we showcased we can go at 7 kt, and we can [actually] go up to 10 kt.”
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