Navy aspires to being able to deploy a growing number of USVs, giving it a tactical edge over the enemy. At the strategic level, the service entry of fleets of USVs would also contribute to holding at risk even an enemy possessing overwhelmingly larger forces (read Russia). In the underwater sector, test and evaluation with Saab’s SUBROV and AUV-62 UUVs will lead to a future family of underwater vehicles to operate from BEKLINGE-class submarines – exploiting the purposely designed, innovative, Flexible Payload Lock. The CONcept of OPerationS (CONOPS) currently under study envisages the submarine acting as the mothership of a series of underwater vehicles and sensors. This plethora of sensors would comprise a temporary network of sonars, communication devices, cameras, etc., that would provide full command over the designated area of interest. Although submarines will likely preserve their surge hunter-killer function in the medium term, time-consuming missions would be delegated to unmanned assets, which would create an accurate, persistent surveillance scatterplot serving as both monitoring system and deterrent against malicious activities. Concluding Remarks Emerging technologies and fresh money will oil the wheels of the Swedish Navy’s capacity building effort. Notwithstanding this, the rise in urgent needs has highlighted the importance of the human factor in the capability equation. A technological edge over the enemy is effective only if sophisticated weapons and equipment are operated by competent, trained personnel. Therefore, Swedish naval planning must also consider the time necessary to recruit and train young, motivated talents As a first measure, the Navy is expanding its ranks by raising conscripts from today’s 635 to 1,100 next year. This should allow filling the 5-600 servicemen gap that has become most recently evident. Furthermore, next- generation ships and submarines will feature unprecedented operational availability. To fully exploit their potential, the Navy will need to have more than one crew for each unit, thus boosting the demand for qualified personnel in times of expanding fleets. Lastly, the desire to bet on emerging technologies and on unmanned components creates a lively debate on the right mindset and mental flexibility servicemen should possess, ranging from quick learning skills to out-of-the-box thinking. These qualities have been underestimated so far, in favour of those of discipline and obedience. The Swedish Navy has the potential merit to be one of the first armed forces in the world to raise the level of debate about the ‘sailor of the future’ – and to include it among the key themes of its modernisation effort. have been a Swedish asset since the eighteenth century, proving to be ideal to exploit the country’s unique coastline, punctuated by rocks, fjords, and small islands. To come back to its traditional posture, the Swedish Navy will procure up to 38 new-generation CB-90 combat boats, in addition to 24 examples featuring mortars and missile launchers (12+12). The existing fleet of 75 boats will be gradually upgraded to the same standard. CB-90s are manufactured at Saab Docksta’s facility in northern Sweden, with research, testing, and system review activities conducted at the Karlskrona shipyard. To sustain the expansion of this unique amphibious force, an additional logistics battalion will be established, and stocks of weapons and ammunitions will be fleshed out with new orders. The new wealth of procurement programmes will also include innovative solutions, such as the cutting-edge BARRACUDA family of camouflage screens for infantry, vehicles, and boats. These will further increase the amphibious force’s survivability against peer or near-peer opponents. An Unmanned Future Unmanned assets, namely USVs and UUVs/AUVs, are seen by both the Navy and Saab as transversal force multipliers for surface and subsurface activities. Experiences currently in progress with the PIRAYA and ENFORCER III are key enablers for future surface unmanned fleets. Extensive work on advanced control systems and autonomy models will enable USVs to accompany and partially replace human beings in duties including SAR, firefighting, oceanology/hydrography, maintenance and monitoring, ISR, transport/supply, and assault. In ten years, the Swedish 34 · MT 5/2022 From the Bridge A GOTLAND-class submarine in Stockholm. The submarine fleet will be updated and, later on, expanded. (Photo: Marco Giulio Barone) A rendering of the A-26 submarine. (Photo: Saab) A CB-90S, the workhorse of Sweden’s amphibious capabilities, equipped with a special BARRACUDA camouflage effective against optical, IR, and radar detection. (Photo: Saab) The ENFORCER III is one of the most advanced experiments in the USV sector. (Photo: Marco Giulio Barone)
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