The US Navy will acquire a Double Eagle Semi-Autonomous Remotely Operated Vehicle (SAROV) for the Kuwait Naval Force. The Double Eagle family of undersea vehicles from Saab is a ROV system used by navies around the world to support mine countermeasure (MCM) missions. These highly manoeuvrable vehicles can be launched from any type of ship, from the shore, or a craft of opportunity.

All Double Eagle systems can be housed in a standard container, providing a deployable solution across a variety of platforms enabling rapid response to mine threats. 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 the system as a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme for Kuwait’s Naval Force. Developed and produced at Saab in Linköping, Sweden, Saab said the sale represented a milestone in expanding the production of this Swedish technology to the US. 

Saab’s Autonomous and Undersea Systems division will produce parts of the system in close collaboration with other production sites in Sweden, the UK and Denmark.  

“We’re excited to introduce production of this undersea vehicle capability to the United States,” said Erik Smith, president and CEO of Saab in the US. “The Autonomous and Undersea Systems team has established a highly experienced team of undersea vehicle experts and significant new production capabilities for Saab that position us for greater US market expansion.