Stockholm, — Swedish defence company Saab has launched Ocean Barrier, a fully integrated and scalable underwater surveillance system designed to monitor maritime areas and protect critical infrastructure, coastal regions, and territorial waters from underwater threats.
The system combines sensors, data collection methods, and operator controls to provide real-time underwater situational awareness. It enables operators to detect, track, and analyse underwater activity while coordinating responses across large maritime areas.
Three-Layer Maritime Protection
Ocean Barrier uses three defensive layers: Detect, Prevent, and Protect. These layers can operate independently or as part of a larger integrated network.
The system is designed for deployments ranging from individual harbours, naval bases, and offshore installations to extended coastlines and national waters. Its sensor-agnostic architecture allows it to integrate with existing surveillance systems without requiring an entirely new hardware infrastructure.
Åsa Schöllin, head of the Underwater Systems business unit within Saab’s Naval business area, highlighted the importance of protecting maritime transportation and military logistics.
“The free flow of goods is the fundamental engine of the modern global economy. In a grey zone scenario or conflict an aggressor may try to disrupt vital sea lines of communication thereby damaging both economic activity and military logistics,” Schöllin said.
She added that Ocean Barrier provides continuous awareness to support faster decision-making and more effective protection of critical assets and maritime areas.
Demonstrated at REPMUS 2026
Ocean Barrier recently demonstrated its capabilities at REPMUS 2026, an international exercise and development project focused on maritime unmanned systems.
During the exercise, the system successfully integrated data from different sensor types, tracked underwater objects, and autonomously transferred the tracking data to the exercise’s central command system using a NATO-standard protocol.
The demonstration highlighted the system’s ability to combine information from multiple underwater sensors and provide connected surveillance capabilities.
Modular and Cyber-Secure Architecture
Saab has developed Ocean Barrier with a modular and cyber-secure architecture, allowing operators to add new sensors, technologies, and analytical capabilities as operational requirements change.
The system draws on Saab’s experience in underwater systems to provide a connected solution for monitoring and protecting maritime areas.
With its scalable design and compatibility with existing surveillance infrastructure, Ocean Barrier is intended to support the protection of ports, naval bases, offshore installations, and critical sea lines of communication against emerging underwater threats.
——— End of Article ———