Saab has been awarded a contract by the US Navy to deliver a Double Eagle Semi-Autonomous Remotely Operated Vehicle (SAROV) to the Kuwait Naval Force.
The Double Eagle family of undersea vehicles is a safe and proven ROV system used by navies worldwide to support mine countermeasure (MCM) missions. In the SAROV configuration, the vehicle can be used both as an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) for detection, classification, and identification and as an ROV for mine disposal.
The US Navy is procuring this system as a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program for Kuwait’s Naval Force. This sale is a significant milestone for Saab in expanding the production of their Swedish technology to the U.S. Saab, Inc.’s Autonomous and Undersea Systems Division will manufacture parts of this system in close collaboration with other production sites in Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Denmark.
“We’re excited to introduce production of this undersea vehicle capability to the United States. The Autonomous and Undersea Systems team has established both a highly experienced team of undersea vehicle experts and significant new production capabilities for Saab that position us for greater U.S. market expansion,” said Erik Smith, President and CEO of Saab in the US.
“Saab’s journey in the Middle East has seen growth over the years. Today, we extend our partnerships in Kuwait, leveraging a highly capable, robust solution. Committed to excellence, we are dedicated to delivering substantial value and enhanced offerings, ensuring we consistently meet and exceed our customers’ evolving requirements,” said Killian Swift, Executive Vice President, Head of Region Middle East and Africa at Saab.
Part of the Double Eagle family, the SAROV brings an autonomous capability and can be used both as an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) for detection, classification and identification, and as an ROV for mine disposal.
When used as an ROV the vehicle operates via one of two tethers. Either using a thin fibre optic tether for real-time communication on long-range missions (>3 km) with power supplied by an internal battery or through a combined power and communication tether, with a standard length of 1,000 m for endurance demanding missions. The SAROV may also be operated without a tether, further increasing its range and delivering a truly hybrid capability.
