Defense companies Saab UK and Kraken have joined forces to develop an experimental autonomous “drone seeker” surface vessel, designed to help protect shipping and critical infrastructure from emerging aerial threats.
Saab and Kraken believe the system, currently in the experimental stages, has significant potential to strengthen protection of shipping, ports, offshore energy assets and national infrastructure against increasingly frequent drone threats.
Teams from Saab UK and Kraken have taken the concept from the drawing board to a working prototype in just a matter of months, time that includes a series of sea trials to understand radar performance in maritime conditions.
Specifically, the prototype combines Saab’s Giraffe 1X radar with Kraken’s K3 Scout autonomous surface vessel to develop a deployable counter-UAS detection system for maritime environments.
The K3 Scout is an uncrewed surface vessel designed for autonomous operation and can operate independently or alongside conventional surface vessels. Equipped with the Giraffe 1X radar, the platform is intended to detect and track airborne targets, including small drones, at range.
The Giraffe 1X is a lightweight 3D radar designed to provide real-time detection and tracking of airborne targets. Its integration with the autonomous K3 Scout provides a maritime platform for detecting potential drone threats while supporting the use of uncrewed vessels alongside conventional naval assets.
"This is a pioneering, UK manufactured, deployable capability, that together with Kraken we’ve developed in less than seven months. This reflects the strength of our partnership, the maturity and flexibility of our respective technologies, and our ability to respond at pace to the evolving threat landscape and needs of our customers," said Andy Fraser, Managing Director of Saab UK
"Kraken and Saab UK’s prototype “drone seeker” vessel is exactly what the K3 SCOUT was designed to do: integrate with mission-relevant payloads to then operate in austere maritime environments," commented Mal Crease, CEO and Founder, Kraken Technology Group.