What Dockstavarvet does

Dockstavarvet is a Swedish shipyard specializing in series production of all-welded aluminum boats and complex special vessels up to approximately 30 meters in length, serving military and civilian government customers. Founded in Docksta in 1905 by N. Sundin and family-held for three generations, the company was acquired by Saab AB on December 29, 2017 and now operates as Business Unit Docksta within Saab's surface vessel division. The core product portfolio includes the CB90 HSM Combat Boat (15 x 3.8 m, 50+ knots, remote-controlled weapon station), the IC 20 M INTERCEPTOR multi-role patrol vessel (20 m, configurable for search/rescue/patrol), the AP 28M and 15M pilot boats, and the GUSTAF AF KLINT hydrographic survey trimaran (17.6 x 8.6 m). Technology is built on waterjet-propulsion, all-welded aluminum construction, modular mission-system integration, and compliance with DNV-GL class and EU inland-navigation rules. With 300+ vessels delivered across four continents and reference customers including the Swedish Navy, Norwegian Defence Logistics Organization, US Navy, Mexican Navy, Royal Malaysian Navy, Hellenic Navy, and German waterway authorities, the company has cumulative delivery scale but operates as a niche platform specialist within the global defense market.

The business model is built on direct enterprise sales to government and defense customers through formal procurement processes. Vessels are built-to-order at the Docksta shipyard on multi-year contracts, with typical orders in the 50-100 million SEK range per award. Revenue streams are split between one-time vessel sales (including custom engineering and subsystem integration) and recurring aftermarket services covering maintenance, support, upgrades, and spare parts for the installed base. A wholly-owned subsidiary, Muskövarvet AB, provides ship maintenance for Navy vessels and amphibious corps boats, extending the service footprint. Go-to-market leverages Saab's international defense sales network for export expansion, while domestic and regional customers are managed through direct relationships. Customers are concentrated in the defense, coast guard/coastal patrol, maritime authority, and hydrographic survey segments.

The company is led by CEO Anders Hellman, with headquarters at Varvsvägen 1 in Docksta (Sweden) and a sales presence at Saab's Karlskrona office, employing an active workforce that the company has publicly stated is recruiting additional staff amid a full order book.

Name

Dockstavarvet

Legal name

N. Sundin Dockstavarvet AB

Website

https://dockstavarvet.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1905

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dockstavarvet is a Swedish shipyard, owned by Saab AB since 2017, that designs and serially produces all-welded aluminum combat boats, patrol vessels, pilot boats, and hydrographic survey vessels up to 30 meters for military and maritime-authority customers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aluminum Boat Manufacturing

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Landing Craft & Amphibious Workboats (LCM/LCT-style, Beaching Craft) (IMAJADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Search & Rescue (SAR) & Lifeboats (IMAJADAI), Naval & Government Vessel Maintenance & Modernization (TLAKAKAB), Retrofits, Upgrades & Compliance Conversions (Scrubbers, BWTS, Alternative Fuels, Energy-Saving Devices) (TLAHAMAI)

Keywords

• Aluminum combat boats
• Defense patrol vessels
• Pilot boat construction
• Hydrographic survey vessels
• Military boat building

Headquarters

HQ city

Docksta

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Vessel Sales: One-time sales of aluminum combat boats, patrol boats, pilot boats, and specialized vessels to military and government customers. Includes custom engineering and integration of subsystems to customer specifications.
2. Aftermarket Services: Maintenance, support, upgrades, and spare parts for delivered vessels throughout their operational lifecycle.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Dockstavarvet designs, manufactures, and delivers advanced all-welded aluminum boats — including combat boats (CB 90 HSM), patrol boats, pilot boats, and specialized hydrographic survey vessels — up to approximately 30 meters in length. The company also provides lifetime maintenance, support, and modernization upgrades for its delivered fleet to military and civilian government customers worldwide.

Product overview

Dockstavarvet is a system supplier and boat builder offering a portfolio of advanced aluminum boats for professional use. The core product line includes the CB 90 HSM Combat Boat, Patrol Boats, Pilot Boats (AP 28M and 15M variants), and the IC 20 M INTERCEPTOR series. The company also delivers specialized vessels like the Hydrographic Survey Vessel GUSTAF AF KLINT. These products share a foundation in all-welded aluminum construction, waterjet propulsion, and modular configurations for military, patrol, and civilian applications. Beyond boat construction, the portfolio includes autonomous systems and solutions as well as maintenance, support and upgrade services for the installed base.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CB 90: Combat Boat 90 - Advanced high-speed aluminium combat boat delivered to military customers worldwide
• CB 90 HSM
• IC 20 M
• IC 16 M
• IC 19 M

Products and services

• CB 90 HSM Combat Boat All-welded aluminum combat boat measuring 15 x 3.8 meters with two diesel engines driving waterjets through hydraulic clutches. Manned by 3 crew and can carry 18 soldiers. Fitted with a bow ramp for forceful landing operations and a remote-controlled weapon station for 12.7mm machine gun; modernized SCANIA DI 16 engines and contemporary electronics.
• Patrol Boats Advanced, high-speed aluminum patrol boats for military and non-military applications, used for coastal patrol, search and rescue, and border security operations. Configurable designs adapted to customer requirements with advanced navigation and communication systems.
• AP 28M Pilot Boat 28-meter pilot boat with steel hull and aluminum deckhouse. Main dimensions 27.60 x 7.00 meters with draft of 2.60 meters at full load displacement of 120 tons. Top speed 14.3 knots; fuel consumption less than 10 l/NM at 50% output. Classed by Swedish Transport Board through DNV-GL for Zone 2. First Swedish-built vessel under harmonized EU rules for Inland Navigation.
• 15M Pilot Boat 15-meter pilot boat for German market with dimensions 15 x 4.4 meters and two 13-liter engines, built for maritime navigation authorities in challenging sea conditions including river estuaries and canal approaches.
• IC 20 M INTERCEPTOR 20-meter Police/Patrol/Combat Boat configurable as Search, Rescue and Service Vessel or as a landing craft with bow ramp. All-welded aluminum construction, main dimensions 20 x 4.4 meters, fully equipped weight of 34 tons. Sprint speed in excess of 50 knots with 2 x 1400 kW engines. Noise levels below 61 dB(A) in wheelhouse at 40 knots.
• Hydrographic Survey Vessel (GUSTAF AF KLINT) 17.6 x 8.6 meter aluminum trimaran built for mechanical hydrographic survey using a 30-meter steel sensor beam ('clear sweeping') for depth verification in fairways and harbor areas. Equipped with approximately 50 sensors, 20 computers, and 10 monitors for data collection. Designated NB 580 for Swedish Maritime Administration.
• Maintenance, Support and Upgrades Ongoing maintenance, support services, modernization upgrades, and spare parts for delivered vessels throughout their operational lifecycle, including lifetime extension programs for the Swedish Navy's Stridsbåt fleet.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50+ knots sprint speed achievable on IC 20 M production version with 2x1400 kW engines
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Saab ABcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 December 2017N. Sundin Dockstavarvet AB became a part of Saab AB on December 29, 2017. The acquisition by Saab, a major defense and security company, provides Dockstavarvet with industrial backing for continued development and significant marketing capacity for export expansion. The company operates as BU Docksta within Saab's portfolio, with Anders Hellman as Head of BU Docksta. Saab's Karlskrona office coordinates international sales.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SAFE Boats International: US aluminum patrol and defense boat builder with a similarly specialized product portfolio (interceptors, patrol craft for Navy/Coast Guard/civilian agencies). Directly comparable in mission, materials (aluminum), and customer base to Dockstavarvet's combat and patrol boat lines.
• Fassmer Shipyard: German shipyard producing patrol vessels, pilot boats and specialized vessels for navies and maritime authorities across Europe. Direct peer to Dockstavarvet's pilot boat business (e.g., German WSV/Lotsbetrieb customers) and complements its defense portfolio.
• Willard Marine: Long-established US builder of aluminum boats for military, Coast Guard, and pilot/harbor operations. Comparable in aluminum craft specialization, government customer mix, and contract cadence to Dockstavarvet.
• Metal Shark Boats: US-based aluminum boat manufacturer serving military, law enforcement and commercial customers with high-speed patrol, response, and specialized craft. Comparable in material, segment focus, and contract-driven GTM to Dockstavarvet.
• Brødrene Aa: Norwegian builder of advanced light-weight passenger ferries and patrol vessels in carbon fiber and aluminum. Comparable in aluminum/composite high-speed vessel engineering and Scandinavian defense market adjacency.
• Umoe Mandal (Umoe Advanced Composites): Norwegian shipyard building composite and metal high-speed patrol and intercept vessels, including CB90-style combat platforms for the Royal Norwegian Navy. Direct peer in combat boat design and Norwegian defense market overlap.

Others

• Kongsberg Maritime: Norwegian maritime technology supplier providing integrated combat, autonomous, and navigation systems for naval vessels. Adjacent/ecosystem participant whose integration partners (including potential autonomy content) could both compete with and supply into Dockstavarvet's autonomous solutions roadmap.

Broad incumbents

• Damen Shipyards: Major Dutch shipbuilding group with a broad portfolio including patrol vessels, fast crew boats, and naval platforms. Competes broadly for the same government tenders as Dockstavarvet but from a wider product portfolio and deeper scale.
• Fincantieri: Italian shipbuilding group operating across naval, offshore, and specialized vessels. A broad incumbent in European naval and government vessel procurement that competes for larger surface vessel contracts adjacent to Dockstavarvet's niche.

Emerging players

• Baltic Workboats: Estonian shipyard building workboats, patrol vessels and pilot boats for European operators. Overlaps with Dockstavarvet's smaller patrol and pilot boat segments but from a lower-cost Nordic/Baltic manufacturing base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dockstavarvet-ab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dockstavarvet