That platform, Saab’s Docksta CB90 Next Generation, known in Swedish service as the CB 90HSM, is built for exactly this kind of distributed littoral warfare. The all-aluminum craft measures 16.3 m in overall length, 3.8 m in beam, and draws only 0.9 m of water. Powered by two 900 hp diesel engines driving twin waterjets, it can exceed 40 knots and offers a range of about 300 nautical miles at cruise. The design’s tactical value is not only speed but also handling. Its waterjet agility and shallow draft allow it to operate inside archipelagos, river mouths, and narrow coastal approaches where larger combatants are constrained, including the ability to stop quickly and maneuver violently without surrendering control. The latest configuration integrates improved ergonomics, an updated combat management system, and enhanced ballistic and CBRN protection measures tailored for high-threat environments.
Sweden’s requirement for the combined boat plus gun configuration is therefore an operational correction. For years, CB90s excelled as raiders and troop movers for the amphibious corps, yet their default weapon fits leaned toward heavy machine guns and lighter remote stations, adequate for constabulary tasks but increasingly thin against drones, hardened firing points, and well-armed fast craft. Under the broader Amfbat 2030 amphibious modernization effort, Stockholm has signaled a push for organic lethality from the boats themselves, including missile and air-defense options sized specifically for the CB90 footprint. Within that arc, SeaSnake 30 becomes the close-range shield and knife. It can escort missile-armed craft, protect troop insertions, and provide immediate, precise suppressive fire during beach approaches without forcing the assault element to wait for heavier naval gunfire that may not be present in the right coastal pocket at the right minute.
