NATO has chosen Saab of Sweden to spearhead the development of a new underwater mission network that will link allied naval forces across domains. The initiative, called the Allied Underwater Battlespace Mission Network (AUWB-MN), aims to connect manned and unmanned maritime platforms operating above, on, and below the water surface.
Under the program, Saab will lead the “Mangrove” consortium in creating a reference architecture and a testbed for the system. The goal is to enable rapid, secure data sharing and greater cross-domain integration, enhancing NATO’s ability to conduct coordinated naval operations.
The AUWB-MN was awarded in July under NATO’s Digital Ocean and Antisubmarine Warfare Barrier Smart Defence Initiative, which is backed by 12 nations. The UK is leading the group, joined by Sweden, the US, Germany, and others. Each participating nation has committed to adopting the network standard once development is complete.
Saab’s Kockums division will oversee the consortium, which brings together multiple European partners, including Cetena and IDS from Italy’s Fincantieri Group, FlySight, GraalTech, Miraya, Saab UK, BlueBear, S2IX, and the University of Plymouth. NATO emphasized that strengthening the underwater domain is increasingly vital as adversaries enhance submarine capabilities and expand undersea surveillance systems. The AUWB-MN is seen as a long-term pillar of NATO’s efforts to secure maritime routes and improve antisubmarine warfare effectiveness.
