Series production of the Kraken K3 Scout unmanned surface vessel (USV) has begun at Rheinmetall’s Blohm+Voss site in Hamburg.
The joint venture established last year between Rheinmetall Naval Systems and the British tech company Kraken Technology Group will now operate under the name “Rheinmetall Kraken GmbH.” The partnership addresses the growing global demand for ‘market-ready’ unmanned platforms of various sizes.
The USVs are capable of reaching speeds of up to 55 knots, measure 8.4 metres in length, and are individually configurable.
Depending on the configuration, the vessels can be used for maritime surveillance, protection of critical infrastructure, or as weapons carriers in military operations.
The production takes place at Rheinmetall’s shipyard Blohm+Voss in Hamburg. The site will serve as a test and technology centre for unmanned and autonomous marine systems.
“Production of the Kraken K3 Scout is initially designed for around 200 units per year. Depending on the order volume, we can scale up production to as many as 1,000 units annually,” said Tim Wagner , CEO of Rheinmetall’s Naval Systems division.
“The formation of Rheinmetall Kraken GmbH combines the scale, expertise and reach of a longstanding defence leader with an agile, innovative maritime technology company. This will ensure that production of Kraken’s K3 Scout can scale to meet exponentially growing operational requirements ,” Mal Crease , CEO of Kraken Technology Group, commented.