Swedish defense company Saab has introduced Ocean Barrier, a fully integrated, scalable underwater surveillance solution designed to provide persistent maritime awareness and protect critical infrastructure, coastal areas and territorial waters from underwater threats.
Underwater surveillance systems are used to monitor maritime areas and detect potential threats to infrastructure and coastal security. According to Saab, Ocean Barrier integrates different surveillance capabilities to provide a broader picture of underwater activity and support coordinated responses. The system is designed to detect, track and analyze underwater activity across maritime areas, including coastlines, ports, offshore installations and other critical infrastructure.
The system integrates sensors, data collection and operator capabilities into a single connected system. . By converting sensor information into real-time situational awareness, it helps its operators understand what is happening below the surface and respond to potential threats, as highlighted.
"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. With Ocean Barrier we provide customers with a scalable and future-ready solution that delivers continuous awareness, enabling faster decisions and more effective protection of critical assets and maritime areas," said Åsa Schöllin, head of the business unit Underwater Systems at Saab’s business area Naval.
Ocean Barrier’s offers three defensive perimeters, known individually as Detect, Prevent and Protect, which can be tailored to different operational environments. The system is suited to protecting a single harbour, naval base, or offshore installation as well as securing extensive coastlines and national waters. The sensor-agnostic design also enables seamless integration with existing surveillance ecosystems.
Saab revealed that Ocean Barrier was tested during REPMUS 2026, where the technology demonstrated the ability to integrate data from diverse sensor systems and autonomously handling off tracked objects via a NATO standard protocol to the exercise’s central command system.
To remind, Saab also recently unveiled the Sea Giraffe Agile Multi Beam D (AMB D), a new naval radar designed to give maritime forces enhanced 3D surveillance and tracking of air and surface threats in increasingly contested environments.