Sweden Builds Up Teledyne GAVIA Underwater Drone Fleet for Mine Countermeasures and Baltic Seabed Security.

On March 27, 2026, Teledyne announced in an official statement that Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration, FMV, had placed a follow-on order for additional GAVIA autonomous underwater vehicles and payload modules after the first systems were delivered to the Swedish Armed Forces in 2025.

Signed during the Navy Tech Conference in Gothenburg, the agreement shows that Stockholm is not merely validating an underwater capability already fielded, but expanding it as mine warfare, seabed surveillance, and the protection of critical underwater infrastructure return to the center of naval planning. Reported by Teledyne Marine, the decision highlights how modular unmanned systems are becoming increasingly important for navies that must secure access, monitor sensitive maritime areas, and respond quickly to underwater threats.

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Sweden is expanding its fleet of GAVIA autonomous underwater vehicles to strengthen mine warfare capabilities and enhance surveillance and protection of critical seabed infrastructure (Picture source: Teledyne)

The new Swedish order is significant because it goes beyond the acquisition of extra vehicles and points instead to the gradual build-up of a broader operational architecture. According to the official Teledyne Gavia statement, FMV’s follow-on order covers additional GAVIA AUVs and payload modules, with the agreement forming part of a multiyear framework that supports fleet modernization and underwater surveillance objectives. The company stated that the additional systems will further expand mission capability and operational flexibility for the Swedish Armed Forces, reflecting confidence gained after the platform’s operational deployment. In practical terms, this means Sweden is increasing not only the number of vehicles available, but also the range of mission packages that can be assigned to them as demands evolve.

That modularity is central to the GAVIA concept. Teledyne describes the platform as a self-contained, low-logistics, modular survey vehicle capable of operating from shore or from vessels of opportunity while delivering high-quality data. The system can be reconfigured between dives, and Teledyne lists defense applications that include mine countermeasures, rapid environmental assessment, search and recovery, and sonar training. The platform’s published specifications indicate a configurable length from 1.8 to 4.5 meters, a 200 mm diameter, a depth rating of 500 or 1000 meters, speeds above 5.5 knots, and endurance that can be extended through the use of up to three battery modules. Teledyne also highlights high-precision inertial navigation aided by Doppler velocity log systems, together with options such as acoustic modem links and satellite communications, features that make the vehicle useful for discreet and repeatable underwater survey tasks in demanding environments.

For Sweden, the immediate value of these systems remains firmly linked to mine countermeasures and explosive ordnance disposal, the two missions explicitly highlighted in the official statement. In the Baltic and other enclosed or heavily trafficked maritime environments, the ability to detect, classify, and revisit potential threats without immediately exposing divers or large manned platforms is a clear operational advantage. Teledyne also notes that the same systems can be adapted for critical underwater infrastructure surveys, widening their relevance well beyond classic mine warfare. This matters because seabed cables, pipelines, harbor approaches, and offshore installations are increasingly exposed to sabotage, covert interference, or the long-term hazard posed by submerged ordnance. A modular AUV fleet gives naval forces a persistent underwater sensing tool that can shift from route clearance to infrastructure inspection without requiring an entirely different platform family.

Tactically, platforms such as GAVIA help commanders reduce uncertainty before committing more vulnerable assets into contested waters. An autonomous underwater vehicle can search designated areas, produce detailed seabed data, revisit suspicious contacts, and support disposal or follow-on intervention measures while keeping sailors and expensive combatants at greater standoff distance. The Swedish order is therefore important not only because it increases fleet size, but because the additional payload modules deepen flexibility at the mission level. The same base vehicle can be configured for different sensing and survey requirements, which is especially valuable in fast-changing scenarios where a navy may need to shift quickly from minehunting to infrastructure monitoring or post-incident seabed inspection. In an era where operational tempo is high and specialist platforms remain limited in number, this kind of reconfigurable unmanned capability offers a practical force multiplier.

The significance of such systems extends far beyond Northern Europe. In a strategic chokepoint such as the Strait of Hormuz, where the mine threat has long been part of naval contingency planning, autonomous underwater vehicles have particular relevance because they support the search, classification, and management of underwater threats in narrow and economically vital waters. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, flows through the Strait of Hormuz in 2024 and the first quarter of 2025 accounted for more than one-quarter of global seaborne oil trade, about one-fifth of global oil and petroleum product consumption, and around one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas trade. In such an environment, even a limited mining campaign or suspected underwater threat can produce strategic effects far beyond the immediate area, slowing shipping, increasing insurance and security costs, and forcing navies to deploy scarce mine warfare assets. Systems like GAVIA do not remove the mine threat on their own, but they improve the ability to survey, identify, and manage it with greater speed and lower risk.

For the region around Sweden, the follow-on order also carries a clear strategic meaning. It confirms that underwater surveillance is now being treated as a sustained requirement rather than a niche or episodic function. In the Baltic security environment, where shallow waters, dense maritime traffic, military signaling, and critical seabed infrastructure overlap, unmanned underwater systems provide a relatively scalable way to strengthen maritime awareness and support access operations. By expanding an already fielded GAVIA fleet under a multiyear agreement, FMV is reinforcing Sweden’s ability to monitor sensitive underwater areas, support mine warfare missions, and maintain readiness over time. The procurement also fits a wider trend in which navies are investing more heavily in modular unmanned systems to cover tasks once handled only by specialized manned platforms, thereby broadening surveillance coverage while containing logistics demands.

Sweden’s additional order for GAVIA autonomous underwater vehicles marks a deliberate expansion of an operational capability already proven in service, not a symbolic procurement. By combining extra vehicles with added payload modules, FMV is increasing the Swedish Armed Forces’ ability to conduct mine countermeasures, explosive ordnance disposal, and infrastructure survey missions with greater flexibility and endurance. At a time when underwater threats can disrupt national security in the Baltic or global commerce in chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz, modular AUVs are becoming an essential part of modern naval force design. Sweden’s latest move shows that undersea awareness and mine warfare readiness are no longer peripheral naval functions, but central requirements for protecting access, infrastructure, and maritime freedom of movement.

Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.