Saab has unveiled an optionally crewed combat boat designed to counter evolving maritime threats, offering three configurations for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), anti-ship warfare, and short-range air defense (SHORAD).
The Combat Boat 90 Capability X (CB90 CX) is an evolution of the CB90 fast assault craft, which entered service with the Swedish Armed Forces in the early 1990s. More than 300 boats are operated by nine navies worldwide, including Ukraine.
The CB90 CX features an extended 18-meter (59-foot) hull, 1.4 meters (4.60 feet) longer than its predecessor, allowing for increased payload capacity. It also incorporates extensively upgraded onboard systems while retaining the established characteristics of earlier troop-carrying versions.
For Swedish Navy
Sweden is the launch customer for the latest version and will operate it alongside the existing, smaller CB90 NG. The country has ordered 36 CB90 boats through multiple contracts since 2024, according to Swedish outlet EFN. The average unit price is just over 40 million Swedish kronor ($4 million), although the final cost varies depending on equipment.
Saab said the CB90 CX is already in production for Sweden but has not disclosed the delivery schedule. The boats will support the recapitalization of the country’s amphibious battalions under the Amfbat 2030 doctrine, which aims to create a more mobile, lethal, dispersed, and data-centric force.
“The future of naval operations is not just about having more platforms; it is about distributing greater combat capability across the force,” Saab’s Docksta business unit head Anders Hellman said.
“As operational realities change, so does CB90. CB90 CX reflects this evolution, moving beyond troop transport to connecting sensors and weapons and delivering combat capability directly from the boat, whether crewed or uncrewed.”
CB90 CX Configurations
The three configurations are designed for distinct operational roles. The ISR variant enhances multi-domain situational awareness using Saab’s Giraffe 1X radar, while the anti-ship version provides over-the-horizon strike capabilities against surface vessels using MBDA’s MARTE ER missiles.
The SHORAD variant is equipped with Rheinmetall’s SeaSnake 30 remotely operated naval gun, designed to engage aerial threats such as drones, helicopters, and loitering munitions.
The 30mm automatic cannon has a maximum firing rate of 1,100 rounds per minute and features electro-optical cameras, infrared sensors, a laser rangefinder, automatic target detection, and multi-target tracking. Its programmable airburst ammunition enhances its effectiveness against aerial threats.
Stockholm ordered an initial eight SeaSnake 30 systems in February 2026, with the first delivery scheduled for February 2028.
The three configurations can operate together or as part of a wider joint force, providing complementary surveillance, surface-strike, and air-defense capabilities.