Sweden arms its Combat Boats with Rheinmetall’s SeaSnake 30 to make its battalions “more dangerous to the enemy.”

Sweden’s FMV has ordered eight SeaSnake 30 naval gun systems from Rheinmetall and associated Spexer 2000 3D MKIII radar from Hensoldt, under a framework that could deliver up to 37 mounts. The country is aiming to make its forces “more dangerous to the enemy.”

By Sam Cranny-Evans, editor of Calibre Defence, published February 19, 2026.

BLUF:

• Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has contracted Rheinmetall for eight SeaSnake 30 30mm naval gun systems and Hensoldt for the associated Spexer 2000 3D MKIII Naval radar, at a combined contract value of approximately SEK 670 million (€62/$74 million).
• The systems will arm CB90 fast assault craft and be integrated into Sweden’s amphibious battalion command systems as part of the Amphibious Battalion 2030 modernisation programme.

The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has signed contracts with Rheinmetall and Hensoldt to equip its amphibious battalions with a new close-range air defence capability. Centred on Rheinmetall’s SeaSnake 30 30mm remote-controlled naval gun and Hensoldt’s Spexer 2000 3D MKIII Naval radar, the order will arm a portion of Sweden’s Combat Boat 90 fleet.

The initial order covers eight weapon systems under a framework agreement valued at approximately SEK 670 million (€62/$74 million), with an option for up to 29 additional mounts. 

First deliveries are planned for February 2028, with the final batch due by the end of that year. The contract also includes standalone training systems, spare parts, integration support, and a four-year ammunition agreement covering both airburst and standard 30mm rounds.

The procurement is part of Amphibious Battalion 2030, a joint modernisation effort between the Swedish Armed Forces, the Swedish Defence Research Institute (FOI), and FMV. 

“The automatic cannon is a powerful weapon that takes out drones or helicopters with high precision, and thus protects one’s own units and increases offensive capability,” said Emil Waxin Nilsson, project manager at FMV. “The automatic cannon complements existing weapons systems for amphibious combat and makes the battalions even more dangerous to the enemy.”

Tech profile: SeaSnake 30 and Spexer 2000 3D MKIII

The SeaSnake 30 is a compact, stabilised remote-controlled weapon station built around Rheinmetall’s KCE30/ABM 30x173mm revolver cannon. The cannon is capable of a nominal rate of fire of 1,100 rounds per minute. Its sensor suite includes daylight cameras with multiple fields of view, a cooled mid-wave infrared thermal imager, and a laser rangefinder. The system supports automatic target detection and simultaneous multi-target tracking.

The Spexer 2000 3D MKIII Naval provides the detection and cueing layer. Hensoldt’s X-band AESA pulse-Doppler radar is specifically designed to detect very small targets at short and very short ranges. This includes targets like micro-UAVs, loitering munitions, fast surface craft, and rubber dinghies, in high sea-clutter conditions where conventional naval radars struggle. It can track more than 300 targets simultaneously within a 120° sector, and is compatible with the SeaSnake 30 as a paired effector. Critically, the compact design allows installation on small platforms without major structural modification.

• Sweden signs for new amphibious group boats – Calibre Defence 
• Saab secures CB90 combat boat order from Sweden – Calibre Defence 

The CB90’s existing weapon fit — typically heavy machine guns and lighter remote weapon stations — was increasingly thin against modern threats. Sweden faces growing concerns over asymmetric aerial threats across its 3,000-kilometre coastline. The Baltic is now an environment where one-way attack drones and swarming fast craft are credible near-peer tactics, not hypotheticals. Especially since the Russian Navy has begun adding uncrewed systems regiments to its fleets. The SeaSnake 30 will help to address that gap, offering a 30mm capability on a platform fast enough to intercept, escort, or suppress threats in confined coastal areas that heavier naval vessels cannot access.

Why did Sweden pick Germany over its domestic industry?

The procurement carries a competitive dimension worth noting. Sweden chose the SeaSnake 30 despite its own companies having similar solutions. Saab’s Trackfire and Bofors could both provide counter-drone solutions and Trackfire has also been selected for the Amphibious Battalion 2030 concept. The FMV has not disclosed the grounds for the decision, which makes confident attribution of a reason unwise. Both Bofors’ 40mm system and other competing platforms also offer programmable airburst capability designed specifically for counter-drone use, so the sensor and munitions package alone does not explain the outcome. Price, delivery timelines, integration with the Spexer radar, or platform-specific constraints on the CB90 may all have been factors.

• Sweden tests Ukrainian drones in bid to learn Russian tactics – Calibre Defence 

The procurement fits a wider pattern of Swedish acquisitions moving rapidly since NATO accession. Stockholm approved more than SEK 5.3 billion in January 2026 to fast-track unmanned systems across all domains, with deliveries from 2026 to 2028. Speed of delivery and proven integration appear to be carrying significant weight in Swedish procurement decisions right now.

Calibre comment: Countering Russia in the high North

• Russia and the strategic challenge to the North – Calibre Defence 
• Forpost-R enters service with Russian navy – Calibre Defence 
• Norway picks Hanwha and Chunmoo for long-range fires – Calibre Defence 

Russia has been building its military forces in the high North for many years now. The area is a key component of the country’s deterrence posture. This includes the use of the Arctic ice to move its nuclear submarines around. The country has also increased the size of its specialised Arctic forces to a division instead of the brigades that they started life as. And, as mentioned above, the Russian Navy is introducing unmanned systems regiments across its fleets. The Northern Fleet has introduced the Forpost-R into service with the express purpose of conducting surveillance and reconnaissance over Russia’s borders and the Barents Sea. Altogether, this changing threat is driving the actions of the Nordic states. They all sit within easy reach of Russian drones and strike assets, making specific counters essential. 

The lead image shows a CB90 boat. Credit: Erik Westberg/Swedish Armed Forces