Saab Reinvents Drone Swarm Coordination for US UK And Australian Alliance.

Saab’s Autonomous Swarm technology played a central role in the AUKUS-led Project Convergence 2024 trials, held over a month in the United States. These trials involved a team of 40 specialists from BlueBear, a Saab subsidiary, along with the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), demonstrating advanced interoperability by deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) within swarms of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS).

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Saab’s Autonomous Swarm technology played a central role in the AUKUS-led Project Convergence 2024 trials. (Picture source: Saab)

AUKUS is a strategic security alliance formed in 2021 between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Focused on enhancing defense and security cooperation, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, AUKUS aims to strengthen each member nation's military capabilities through collaborative projects and technology sharing. One of its most notable initiatives involves supporting Australia in developing and deploying nuclear-powered submarines, but AUKUS also emphasizes advanced research and development in areas like artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities, and autonomous systems. This alliance reflects the countries' shared commitment to stability, security, and technological advancement in response to evolving global challenges.

The trilateral AUKUS partnership—comprising Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—places particular emphasis on developing networked, collaborative swarm technologies. During these trials, BlueBear’s Centurion mission system demonstrated its capacity to allow a single operator to control and manage a broad array of autonomous UAS in complex multi-domain environments. This highlights the growing value of BlueBear’s AI-enabled autonomy for critical operations.

At the core of BlueBear’s technological advancement is the flexibility of “hot-swapping” AI modules from various suppliers within an autonomous systems framework. This capability greatly enhances the adaptability of networked sensors and effectors, marking a transformative step for integrated battlefield operations. In practice, the AUKUS trials showcased the use of BlueBear’s RedKite and Ghost UAS, operating alongside the Centurion system. This combination enabled the AUKUS team to reconfigure and deploy AI algorithms rapidly, optimizing UAS payloads and capabilities according to real-time operational needs.

“The AUKUS trials represent a substantial advance in our capacity to achieve seamless interoperability with allied forces, both in mission execution and core technology,” said Andy Fraser, Group Managing Director of Saab UK. “The joint investment from the UK government and Saab’s BlueBear has facilitated the rapid development and testing of high-value, strategically essential technologies for modern warfare.”

The success of the AUKUS trials reflects decades of dedicated research and development under the Dstl’s Autonomy and Open Architecture program, consistently funded over the past 20 years. This sustained support has enabled BlueBear and its partners to reach new milestones in operational capabilities for autonomous swarm technology.

Saab’s acquisition of BlueBear in August 2023 has bolstered its technology portfolio, accelerating the development of innovative solutions and integrating them into Saab’s broader strategic capabilities.