Ex-Northvolt Boss Now Builds AI Attack Drone Boats - Former Military Chief on Board

STOCKHOLM - He helped run Northvolt, the battery giant that went down as Sweden's most expensive green-industry flop. Now Oscar Fors is building diesel-powered, AI-controlled attack drone boats - with Sweden's former military chief on his board.

His little-known defence-tech company Nautrik has shown off its unmanned sea drone, the Riverine 4, in live trials off Lidingö in the Stockholm archipelago, Swedish news agency TT reports.

The craft is four metres long, weighs 850 to 900 kilos and runs at just over 20 knots. With a low profile and camouflage paint, it all but vanishes into the horizon until it cuts through the waves.

Before moving into the military and security sector, Fors held senior posts at Northvolt and at the struggling electric-boat maker X Shore. He also has a background in Silicon Valley and as a partner at consulting giant Accenture.

READ MORE: Despite the Northvolt Fiasco: Billions in Taxpayer Funds Proposed for New Green Fund

The project started in his own garage with a couple of rebuilt jet skis when Russia invaded Ukraine.

"Like many others, I signed up for the Home Guard when the war in Ukraine started, but I thought I had to be able to do something more," Fors told TT aboard the escort boat used to monitor the drones.

Diesel, Not Batteries

Unlike the battery-powered prestige projects Northvolt and X Shore, Nautrik has gone for proven diesel engines. The boats are built by Swedish boat group Nimbus and, according to the company's own specifications, have a range of more than 300 nautical miles and can carry over 300 kilos of payload.

The steering is run by artificial intelligence, built so several drones can be launched from shore or from a mother ship and operate together as a swarm. If radio contact is cut or an enemy jams GPS, the craft keep navigating on their own.

Operators on an escort boat assign surveillance missions and follow the drones in real time on a screen that looks like an advanced strategy game - designed with help from well-known names in Sweden's gaming industry.

The boats are pitched for both civilian and military work. Civilian uses include guarding energy and telecom infrastructure such as pipelines and undersea cables, or carrying supplies through shallow, dangerous waters. Military roles include reconnaissance, mine clearance, escort and direct combat, including a machine-gun system developed with Swedish drone maker Airolit that can detect incoming aerial drones and protect the boat.

Former Military Chief on the Board

After years under the radar, Nautrik has signed up big names from the armed forces and business. Micael Bydén, who led the Swedish Armed Forces as Supreme Commander until 2024, sits on the board.

Investors include former EQT chief executive Thomas von Koch, financier Staffan Salén and comedian David Batra.

Fors will not reveal the size of the order book, but says demand is already so high that production cannot keep up in 2026.

"Our main focus is strengthening Swedish defence. We build capability based on real operational needs, and we do it faster than traditional players," he told TT.