Saab has been chosen to guide NATO’s new Allied Underwater Battlespace Mission Community (AUWB-MN) programme, a serious step in integrating crewed and uncrewed maritime programs throughout the Alliance.
The Saab-led MANGROVE consortium formally started work on 1 September 2025. Its process is to design a Reference Structure and a Check and Reference Atmosphere for a mission community that may allow safe, fast info trade and mixed operations above, on and beneath the water.
NATO intends for the result to function a brand new customary for underwater operations.
Mats Wicksell, head of Saab’s enterprise space Kockums, stated: “All the MANGROVE consortium’s experience and collaborative focus for the following 12 months can be on the profitable improvement of a mission community for NATO’s operations within the underwater battlespace. As all elements of the underwater area develop of their strategic significance, this can be a crucial contribution to our collective maritime safety and defence.”
The undertaking is a part of NATO’s Digital Ocean and Antisubmarine Warfare Barrier Sensible Defence Initiative. It’s backed by 12 sponsoring nations, led by the UK alongside Sweden, the US, Australia, Spain, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Canada, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway.
David Burton, Mission Director for NATO’s Antisubmarine Warfare Barrier initiative, stated: “The AUWB-MN undertaking is a big step ahead within the modernisation of our warfighting capabilities and the power for NATO allies to function successfully collectively within the underwater area of the long run.”
The MANGROVE consortium consists of CETENA and IDS of the Fincantieri Group, FlySight, GraalTech, Miraya, Saab UK, BlueBear, S2IX and the College of Plymouth.