Saab is introducing the new Combat Boat 90 Capability X (CB90 CX) with three optionally crewed configurations.
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Press Release, Linköping, 02 November 2026: Saab is introducing the new Combat Boat 90 Capability X (CB90 CX), representing a new dimension of capability with three optionally crewed configurations: intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), anti-ship warfare, and short-range air defence (SHORAD). Together, these capabilities address the evolving threats of modern naval reality, enabling a more distributed, flexible, and resilient naval force.
When maritime threats become increasingly complex, navies need platforms that can detect threats earlier, share information faster and deliver effects from dispersed positions. CB90 CX expands the role of combat boats beyond troop transport, enabling them to contribute directly to surveillance, surface strike, and air defence missions.
Larger than the popular existing vessel trusted in-service around the world, the new CB90 CX features increased payload capacity and comprehensively updated onboard systems, across a wider range of sea states. Designed for optionally crewed operations using Saab’s Autonomous Ocean Core, CB90 CX retains the well-regarded characteristics of its troop-carrying predecessors while enabling the integration of a broader range of capabilities.
“The future of naval operations is not just about having more platforms; it is about distributing greater combat capability across the force. 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,” says Anders Hellman, head of Saab’s business unit Docksta.
The three initial configurations have distinct operational roles. The ISR configuration focuses on multi-domain situational awareness and uses Saab’s Giraffe 1X radar. The anti-ship warfare configuration provides over-the-horizon strike capability against surface vessels, while the SHORAD configuration uses an anti-aircraft auto-cannon for air defence at a time when Uncrewed Air Systems proliferate. By operating together, they provide navies with complementary capabilities that enhance their combined operational effectiveness or as part of a wider joint forces mix.
CB90 CX is currently under production for Sweden as the launch customer and will co-exist alongside the existing smaller CB90 NG. CB90 serves in nine navies and operates across the world from Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, and the Americas.
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