SAAB outlines strategies for protecting critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea at MSPO 2025.

On 3rd of September 2025 at MSPO 2025 in Kielce, Poland, Saab gave a briefing to the international press on the growing challenges of protecting critical maritime infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. The Baltic has emerged as one of Europe’s most strategically sensitive regions, where energy security, military deterrence, and hybrid threats intersect. The sabotage of undersea pipelines and cables in recent years has underlined both the vulnerability of seabed installations and the need for tailored responses. Saab’s presentation sought to address these realities, stressing the combination of advanced technologies and international cooperation as indispensable tools for confronting the risks ahead.
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The Saab Sabertooth hybrid underwater vehicle, presented at MSPO 2025 in Kielce, was highlighted as a key asset for the persistent monitoring of subsea pipelines and communication cables, reflecting Saab’s wider focus on protecting critical Baltic Sea infrastructure against hybrid threats (Picture Source: SAAB)

During the session, Saab’s expert Konrad Nowak outlined how the Baltic Sea represents one of the most complex maritime environments in the world. Beyond its role as an economic and trade hub, the Baltic also contains critical energy and communication infrastructure linking several NATO and EU member states. Yet its geography and history compound the risks. The seabed is littered with more than 50,000 unexploded ordnances dating back to the First and Second World Wars, alongside chemical munitions and residual military debris. Added to this are 24,000 islands, varying depth and salinity conditions, and harsh Arctic weather patterns that make surveillance and protection efforts particularly demanding. The region’s geopolitical complexity, where Russian naval presence and intelligence-gathering activities are a constant, amplifies these challenges further.

Nowak underscored that the Baltic Sea should not be underestimated, citing recent remarks by Major General M. Klisz, Operational Commander of the Polish Armed Forces, who described the area as “the operational centre of the alliance, not NATO’s internal lake”. For Saab, this reality means that defense strategies cannot rely on outdated concepts but must integrate multi-domain operations, air, sea, undersea, cyber, and space, into a coherent framework capable of deterring threats and responding in real time.

The threat spectrum is increasingly diverse. Traditional risks from historic munitions coexist with modern challenges such as GPS jamming and spoofing, electronic warfare measures that Nowak said Poland observes daily in the Gulf of Gdańsk. These tactics disrupt navigation systems and communications, creating vulnerabilities for both civilian shipping and military assets. Other risks include improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that could be placed along the seabed, as well as surveillance and covert operations conducted by Russia’s so-called “dark fleet,” vessels that operate without clear identification and are suspected of intelligence-gathering.

In this context, Saab emphasized that no single nation can handle the problem alone. The accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO has, according to Nowak, opened the door to unprecedented levels of cooperation. Initiatives such as “Baltic Sentry,” a developing NATO combat task force integrating officers and experts from several member states, highlight this shift. A strategic partnership agreement between Poland and Sweden further strengthens the framework, laying the foundation for deeper coordination on securing the Baltic region.

Saab argued that solutions must be tailored specifically to the Baltic’s geological and hydrological characteristics. Its shallow waters and relatively easy access to the seabed make critical infrastructure particularly vulnerable to hostile actions. Unlike open oceans, the Baltic’s confined space allows adversaries to operate discreetly, exploiting legal grey zones and carrying out activities that stop short of open conflict but still undermine stability. To address this, persistent monitoring and constant situational awareness are essential.

The company identified three core success factors: knowing precisely where the threats are, maintaining continuous surveillance of critical sites, and developing the capacity to protect key assets once vulnerabilities are detected. Saab highlighted its portfolio of underwater technologies as part of this response. The Sabertooth hybrid underwater vehicle, capable of autonomous inspection and surveillance, was cited as a tool for persistent monitoring of pipelines and cables. In parallel, the role of submarines is being redefined. No longer seen merely as platforms for torpedo engagements, submarines today act as intelligence-gathering nodes, surveillance assets, and deterrent forces. When combined with unmanned underwater systems, they offer a layered approach that enhances resilience and complicates hostile planning.

Saab underscored this perspective at MSPO 2025 with the display of the A26 submarine mock-up, designed to combine stealth, flexibility, and advanced strike capabilities; the LUUV mock-up model, representing a future autonomous underwater vehicle for long-endurance operations; and the SLWT lightweight torpedo, developed for both littoral and deep-water engagements. Together, these systems illustrate Saab’s comprehensive approach to undersea dominance, integrating manned and unmanned platforms with advanced weapon solutions.

Nowak stressed that modern deterrence in the Baltic must be understood as both physical and informational. Submarine patrols, coupled with unmanned surveillance platforms, provide not just a defensive shield but also a psychological factor that signals readiness. At the same time, integrating these assets within NATO’s multi-domain operational framework ensures that any escalation, whether electronic, kinetic, or hybrid, can be met with a coordinated and proportionate response.

Saab’s message at MSPO 2025 was clear: protecting the Baltic Sea’s critical infrastructure requires moving beyond Cold War-era concepts and embracing a blend of advanced technology, multinational cooperation, and persistent vigilance. The region’s strategic role as a nexus for energy flows, military operations, and global trade means that vulnerabilities here reverberate far beyond its shores. Saab’s approach reflects a recognition that the Baltic Sea is not just a regional issue but a vital operational theatre for the entire alliance, where maintaining stability is essential for Europe’s security architecture.