Saab has been tasked with leading a new NATO project aimed at strengthening cooperation in the underwater domain. The project, called the Allied Underwater Battlespace Mission Network (AUWB-MN), began on September 1 and aims to create a standard for information sharing between manned and unmanned systems on, below, and above the water surface.
The consortium led by Saab, under the name Mangrove, will develop both a reference architecture and a test environment. The work is intended to facilitate rapid and secure information exchange between different platforms and military branches, ultimately improving NATO's capability for coordinated maritime operations.
– This is an important project for both us and NATO. The underwater domain is becoming increasingly strategically important, and our work will contribute to increased security and defense capability at sea, says Mats Wicksell, head of Saab's business area Kockums, in a press release from Saab.
The project is part of NATO's Digital Ocean and Antisubmarine Warfare Barrier Smart Defence Initiative. It is supported by twelve countries, led by the United Kingdom, including Sweden, the USA, Australia, Spain, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Canada, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway. All have committed to adopting the standard being developed.
The Mangrove consortium includes, in addition to Saab, several European companies and research entities such as CETENA and IDS (part of the Fincantieri Group), FlySight, GraalTech, BlueBear, S2IX, and the University of Plymouth.