Swedish-Estonian Firm Aims to Revolutionize Military Boats
A Swedish-Estonian company that wants to end the era of single-purpose boats is turning its navy-proven hull into software-enabled hardware: one platform where mission modules, drones, sensors and remote control all plug into the same boat.
“Boats today are where phones were in 2006: one device, one job,” said Jürgen Visnapuu, CEO and co-founder of Cross Water (XW Production).
“Thousands of companies build boats. Hundreds build drones. Nobody builds the boat in between: designed from day one to carry a whole ecosystem of capabilities, like drones, and then to become one itself.”
Cross Water’s answer is the XW Modular, a family of aluminum rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) in different sizes, each with structural rails designed into its deck from day one.
Consoles, seats, sensors and other mission equipment lock onto the rails in minutes, with no tools, so the same hull changes missions instead of being replaced.
The XW Modular 750 (7.5m RIB) is in its second year of service with navy divers and special operations forces in a NATO country the company does not name.
In September 2026, the navy took it to Portugal for REPMUS 2026 (Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping with Maritime Unmanned Systems).
This NATO-backed exercise focuses on uncrewed maritime systems.
Among other use cases, Dutch company Lobster Robotics launched and operated its new-generation seabed drone from the boat’s deck.
On the strength of these real operations and missions, Cross Water rates the 750 at Technology Readiness Level 9, the highest level.
“You have no idea how often we think back to this boat,” said Daan de Groot, chief technology officer and co-founder of Lobster Robotics, which first worked from the boat in 2025.
“It has been the best we have used, by a long shot.”
The next layer is software.
Vessel Manager, developed in-house, will serve as the boat’s operating system, recognizing which modules are mounted and where they are positioned.
It will run the entire ecosystem on deck as one integrated system, including remote control and autonomy.
Remote operation comes first, in 2027, followed by autonomous, optionally crewed operation.
“Autonomy is an upgrade, not a new boat,” Visnapuu said. “A navy runs the hull crewed today and adds remote operation and autonomy to the same hull later.”
Cross Water has taken its first steps toward that ecosystem, with the first mission modules being co-developed with partner companies it does not yet name.
“Any company that puts a sensor or a drone on the water or in the air can be a module on our platform,” Visnapuu said.
The platform’s next hull is a 10.5-meter model, now under construction in Estonia and launching in spring 2027.
Designed by co-founder Niclas Kling, a naval architect formerly with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), it is built for a top speed of 60 knots and will carry Vessel Manager’s first deployment.
Beyond the navy, a 750 built for a customer in the Gulf is awaiting shipment, and Cross Water offers its boats both for sale and as a full-service rental.
Cross Water says it is ready to brief navies and defence agencies interested in the platform. Its browser-based 3D configurator, at cross-water.com/platform/configurator, lets anyone build a mission layout on the boat without signing up.
The company will be at IDEX 2027, the International Defence Exhibition and Conference, in Abu Dhabi in January.
About Cross Water
The company was founded by Jürgen Visnapuu, naval architect Niclas Kling and boatbuilder Reimo Võting: cross-water.com.
Cross Water (XW Production OÜ) is a Swedish-Estonian maritime technology company that builds modular aluminum boats in Estonia for defence, security and industrial operators.
The boats serve as platforms with one hull reconfigured for each mission in minutes, while the company’s own Vessel Manager software provides the operating layer.
Media contact: Jürgen Visnapuu, CEO and co-founder, email, +372 5373 9913
This video was published on the XW Production media YouTube channel
I’ve posted more videos of this pro-focussed brand here.
Related reading: What Is a Rigid Inflatable Boat? · RIB Buying Guide · Best RIB for Rough Water · What Size RIB Do I Need?